Duale: Telling youth to pay Sh1 million to marry is wrong
What you need to know:
- MP says he will meet senior Muslim clerics to try reverse the trend.
- MP claims youth are asked to table $10,000 dowry condition before marriage.
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale has decried over the high cost of bride price among the Somali.
Mr Duale claims it has demoralized young men from marriage, arguing that the high figure is "turning marriage into a multimillion dollar industry".
“The cost of Muslim marriage must be reduced. Telling youth to pay Sh1 million ($10,000) to marry is wrong. As Muslims we have terribly failed. We must make the component of marriage to be simple and cheap so that we stop youth from engaging in illicit relationships,” said Mr Duale.
He said he will meet with senior Muslim clerics, particularly the leadership of the country’s influential Jamia mosque committee, to start a nationwide narrative to reverse the trend.
“These things of asking youth to table $10,000 dowry as a condition to marry your daughter as if it is buying a mall or vehicle must came to an end. I am going to discuss with our clerics this Friday to provide solution,” added Mr Duale, who was speaking at the Eastleigh High School during Somali community annual festival dubbed Firi Cultural Expo Eastleigh.
The Garissa Town MP said the emerging trend among the Somali community, who are also demanding the bride price to be paid in American currency, is influenced by the diaspora community.
POLYGAMY
Amid cheers from the attendants of the colourful Somali cultural event, Mr Duale also waded into the polygamous marriage debate started by Kiambu Woman Representative Gathoni Wamuchomba.
He defended Ms Gathoni, who came under criticism after telling her Kikuyu community men to embrace polygamy in order to take care of children born out of concealed relationships.
Mr Duale urged Kikuyu men to heed the Kiambu County Woman Representative’s idea and further told Muslim men to fully embrace polygamy as entrenched in the holy Quran, saying it can also work well for them politically.
“As Muslim, we have been given an opportunity to marry up to four wives so that we can produce as many children as possible. That will work for us politically in terms of voting, so that will keep us ahead of others,” said Duale.
