A Kiambu-based politician has supported a hotel in Kericho County which kicked out a female politician for failing to produce a marriage certificate last Saturday.
The Laikipia Women Representative Catherine Waruguru is married to Wakili Kiget as the second wife.
They had visited his parents in Kericho and had planned to spend the night at Sunshine Upperhill Hotel in Kericho town before being turned away for failing to produce a marriage certificate.
Laikipia Women Representative Catherine Waruguru at a past event. [Photo/Standard]
However, Gladys Chania says that though it was embarrassing the hotel turned away Waruguru, the act serves to show polygamy in Kenya is unacceptable.
Speaking to Hivisasa on Phone Tuesday, Chania noted that polygamy, by and large, is demeaning.
“Polygamy is demeaning, it doesn't give equality of spouses in a marriage. We should never ignore that we leave in a cultured society where women are judged more harshly than men neither should we try to push things so fast at the throat of the ones swallowing by making it so real to say and do anything on the basis of equality,” she said.
The Kiambu politician who doubles up as a counselor further stated that despite the Marriage Bill which legalizes polygamy being passed in Parliament years back, men are still shy to announce their second wives because the society has not accepted this.
Chania underscored that “any leader supporting polygamy is supporting prejudice on women,” adding “at a hotel, they can only go far asking for a marriage certificate in situations where your IDs don't read the same.”
“Any real and clean marital reunion dictates you change names since you have a lot in common to interact and relate on. Lack of it leads to frustration and embarrassment that our women should avoid,” she remarked.
She advised elected female leaders that to avoid such embarrassing scenarios, “It is for our ladies to stick to their own marriages and not shared unions.”
Waruguru has threatened to sue the hotel for embarrassing her.