Kenya is a heterogeneous country ethnicity wise. Its culture is a melting pot of thoughts, practices and customs from the diverse tribes in the country.
In what it seems strange to other tribes, the Kalenjin culture values and appreciates its traditional customs such as a barren woman marrying another woman to tackle barrenness.
In Kapkesiny village in the rural Uasin Gishu county, locals who are mainly the Kalenjin subtribe, Nandi, say indeed the custom is practised amongst the community. They confirmed that there were some women in the community who had married other women to sire children on their behalf.
"Our culture allows a barren woman to marry another woman who would then proceed to bear children by men who would have no obligation towards them or the children," says Thomas Ng'eny, a village elder.
Leah Tanui explains that the children born from the marriage belong to the barren woman as she is the one who pays dowry.
"The barren woman has to pay a bride price to the bride's family to be given the girl to marry," she said adding that the marriage ceremony is usually officiated by elders at dusk.
According to the elders, the 'female husband' is a woman that has taken some of the traditional male roles on behalf of the family.
"The female husband takes up the fathers' role in the family such as providing all necessities for the family," revealed another elder adding that she also chooses the man to bear children on her behalf without revealing to any member of the family.
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