Marrying sisters is not commonplace, but there is nothing wrong with it, says an expert. Arthur Muriuki, a counseling psychologist at The Brain Initiative says marrying sisters is not an abnormality as most times, both do it voluntarily.
“Marrying sisters is mostly common with twins because of the bond they have and they are likely to be attracted to the same man compared to sisters who are not twins.”
Marrying sisters, says Muriuki, also happens when a younger sister comes to stay with her older sister because of work or school and she starts a relationship with the husband and the family decides to solve the dispute by allowing the union.“
It also happens a lot in the Asian community because of their family setup and the way they live. You will find a younger sister will come to stay with her sister’s family and soon, she becomes a second wife,” explains Muriuki.
The demise of the first wife might also see a family gifting the widower her younger sister to take care of the children instead of him marrying a stranger.
In some communities, the father might also decide to wed his two daughters to the same man as a symbol to solidifying a business relationship, while in other communities, the family might give out a sister to settle a debt. When the younger sister has an affair with her sister’s hubby, the family might decide to avoid shame by allowing the marriage while in other communities, women have no say in the matter.
Muriuki says that in such cases, “the older sister might feel betrayed and move on and leave the husband. But in cases where they both live happily, the hard task will be raising the kids and explaining to them why mum is also aunty. Kids need to be kept in the loop of the family dynamics so that they understand it well.”