Nairobi – A law allowing men in Kenya to marry as many women as they want was signed into law Tuesday by President Uhuru Kenyatta, despite criticism from women’s groups.
A statement from the presidency confirmed that the bill, which it said “consolidates various laws relating to marriage”, had been signed into law.
The bill, which amended existing legislation, was passed by parliament last month to formalise traditional practice regarding marrying more than one person.
“Marriage is the voluntary union of a man and a woman, whether in a monogamous or polygamous union,” the presidential statement added.
The initial bill had given a wife the right to veto the husband’s choice, but male members of parliament overcame party divisions to push through a text that dropped this clause.
When the bill was passed last month, female members of parliament stormed out of the session in fury after a heated debate. ….
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