Kamba people. (Photo/darkhorizons.com)
The most beautiful women in Kenya from the super Akamba community are sometimes convinced to get married to ghosts. These ladies marry boys who died long ago while still young.
The plan for the ghost husband to marry is arrived at by the family of the deceased. An aunt is sent to seduce a girl on behalf of the dead boy who they want to remember. She has to land a cute woman who will marry a dead man who she has never set an eye on but is made to believe he exists.
The normal procedure of paying dowry is respected and a sperm donor is secretly hired to have children with the woman. The children belong to the dead boy.
This woman in question has a right to inherit property that was meant for the departed boy including land. The family believes he is still around but as a spirit.
This is another surprise from Kamba land. A region that beautifies Kenya with its great dancers, world-class art, and angelic women. Talk of celebrated media queens and the international ciondo, they come from Ukambani. However, most people no longer practice this tradition.