Entries Tagged as 'Kenyan Marriage'
Kenyan Marriage – The Place for Marriage Minded Singles
Kenyan marriage in the traditional Kenyan context is a rite of passage every Kenyan is expected to undergo in their lifetime. Kenyan marriage is viewed as an important component to widen the kinship network of the individual through procreation. Families are made of a wide network of members, including brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, in-laws, unborn children, and deceased relatives. The wide network of family members functions as a social unit with norms and beliefs and as an economic unit for the survival of its members.
The family system in Kenya is mainly patriarchal. This system is emphasized by the need for the groom or his family to pay dowry to the bride's family before marriage. Payment of dowry is usually in the form of money or in kind compensation and may be done a few days before the marriage or over a long period, from the time of birth to years after the Kenyan marriage. With Kenyan marriages breaking down in the modern society, these traditions are seen as a factor that links the society to the strong moral standards of earlier days because the woman feels worthwhile to her husband and may, hence, stay faithful to the Kenyan marriage.
On the other hand, modern and urban Kenyans who see Kenyan marriage as based on love rather than practicality view some of these traditions as backward. They see Kenyan marriage based solely on economic factors because the wife is motivated to stay faithful to the marriage because she is fearful that a failed marriage would result in a return of the dowry. Further, dowry violates women's rights because it encourages early Kenyan marriage in cases where parents are eager to collect dowry on marrying off their daughters. It is against this backdrop that the dowry tradition is slowly eroding. With this in mind, Kenyan singles are shying away from these traditional concepts and are creating lives that are more in line with their philosophies. This change in ideology is present with AfricanLove.com, a popular online personals site for African singles. Give AfricanLove.com a try: it is the place for marriage minded singles to find strong relationships.