A bunch of elders in Masinga, Machakos
County were recently forced to eat humble
pie and beg an angry suitor to marry their
daughter, after he walked out of ongoing
dowry negotiations, accusing them of
extorting him.
The suitor only identified as Mwendwa
caused a stir after he ordered the people who
had accompanied him to the function, to pack
the goods he had presented as dowry onto a
pick-up, leaving the home in a fit of rage.
This was after the elders inflated the cost of
his bride and fined him heavily for
“misbehaving”.
As is the custom among the Akamba,
Mwendwa had arrived at his in-laws’ home
with a delegation comprising his extended
family, friends, neighbours and workmates,
to pay dowry. His in-laws had prepared food
and were serving alcoholic drinks.
As they dined and wined, Mwendwa got tipsy
and without a care in the world, staggered
onto the dance floor and began dancing with
women inappropriately.
Fines imposed
This he did to the chagrin of his in-laws and
wife-to-be. “His unbecoming behaviour upset
the wazee (old men) who decided to fine him
two goats. “He stopped dancing
inappropriately, apologised and agreed to
pay the fine,” intimated a source who
attended the ceremony.
Much later, during their stay at the home, one
of the men who accompanied Mwendwa was
accused of having kicked a dog.
“The elders fined Mwendwa three more goats
for the bad manners of a member of his
delegation,” reveals the source. Everything
else went on well until later when
Mwendwa’s family began to renegotiate the
dowry, seeing as there had been a couple of
fines imposed.
Mwendwa had initially agreed to give
Sh80,000, 82 goats and other material goods.
Instead of the goats, he was asked to pay an
extra Sh80,000, which would be the
equivalent of 40 goats (at the cost of Sh2,000
each) and give the other 42 goats later.
The in-laws however, consulted and made
fresh demands, insisting that Mwendwa pay
all the dowry at once because, they said, he
was a man of means. To their shock, a miffed
Mwendwa walked out and instructed his men
to load all the goods they had brought onto
the pickup and leave.
When the elders discovered that Mwendwa
was not joking, his fiancé run to him crying
and begged him to change his mind, telling
him to just “just pay what you have”.
Elders joined her and implored Mwendwa to
cool his temper, pleading and begging him to
sit down and discuss but a tipsy, peeved
Mwendwa would hear none of it. He left. The
relationship now hangs in the balance.
County were recently forced to eat humble
pie and beg an angry suitor to marry their
daughter, after he walked out of ongoing
dowry negotiations, accusing them of
extorting him.
The suitor only identified as Mwendwa
caused a stir after he ordered the people who
had accompanied him to the function, to pack
the goods he had presented as dowry onto a
pick-up, leaving the home in a fit of rage.
This was after the elders inflated the cost of
his bride and fined him heavily for
“misbehaving”.
As is the custom among the Akamba,
Mwendwa had arrived at his in-laws’ home
with a delegation comprising his extended
family, friends, neighbours and workmates,
to pay dowry. His in-laws had prepared food
and were serving alcoholic drinks.
As they dined and wined, Mwendwa got tipsy
and without a care in the world, staggered
onto the dance floor and began dancing with
women inappropriately.
Fines imposed
This he did to the chagrin of his in-laws and
wife-to-be. “His unbecoming behaviour upset
the wazee (old men) who decided to fine him
two goats. “He stopped dancing
inappropriately, apologised and agreed to
pay the fine,” intimated a source who
attended the ceremony.
Much later, during their stay at the home, one
of the men who accompanied Mwendwa was
accused of having kicked a dog.
“The elders fined Mwendwa three more goats
for the bad manners of a member of his
delegation,” reveals the source. Everything
else went on well until later when
Mwendwa’s family began to renegotiate the
dowry, seeing as there had been a couple of
fines imposed.
Mwendwa had initially agreed to give
Sh80,000, 82 goats and other material goods.
Instead of the goats, he was asked to pay an
extra Sh80,000, which would be the
equivalent of 40 goats (at the cost of Sh2,000
each) and give the other 42 goats later.
The in-laws however, consulted and made
fresh demands, insisting that Mwendwa pay
all the dowry at once because, they said, he
was a man of means. To their shock, a miffed
Mwendwa walked out and instructed his men
to load all the goods they had brought onto
the pickup and leave.
When the elders discovered that Mwendwa
was not joking, his fiancé run to him crying
and begged him to change his mind, telling
him to just “just pay what you have”.
Elders joined her and implored Mwendwa to
cool his temper, pleading and begging him to
sit down and discuss but a tipsy, peeved
Mwendwa would hear none of it. He left. The
relationship now hangs in the balance.
