Two Kenyan set to marry the same woman!

By Olumide T. Agunbiade

Two Kenyan men have signed an agreement to "marry" the same woman. The woman had been having affairs with both men for more than four years and apparently refused to choose between them.

The men who love the woman too much to let her go have agreed to her decision to set a out a roaster for Sylvester Mwendwa and Elijah Kimani to stay in her house and states they will both help raise any children she bears.

People have reacted with shock to the "marriage", arguing that it is not acceptable in terms of their culture, religion or the law.

Defending the "marriage", Mr Mwendwa told the BBC Focus on Africa programme that while he may acting in breach of the law, he had decided to enter into a contract with Mr Kimani to end their rivalry."It could have been very dangerous if the other man would have come to her house and caught me... So our agreement is good as it sets boundaries and helps us keep peace.""We have agreed that from today we will not threaten or have jealous feelings because of our wife, who says she's not ready to let go of any of us,"

Each one will respect the day set aside for him. We agree to love each other and live peacefully. No-one has forced us to make this agreement," 

Community policing officer Adhalah Abdulrahman persuaded the two men to marry the woman after he saw them fighting over her in Mombasa county.

I was surprised to see two men fighting over a woman who is said to be a widow and a mother of twins. I tried solving the issue but they refused, each insisting he could not live without the woman," he was quoted as saying.

"I talked to both of them and they claim they love her equally and cannot live without her. I asked the woman to choose but she refused, saying 'I cannot lose either of them, I love them both'",

Mr Mwendwa told the BBC he did not marry the woman simply to satisfy his sexual desires but because he loved her and, most of all, her children.

"I have never been called a dad and her two children call me daddy,""She is like the central referee. She can say whether she wants me or my colleague," he added.

Mr Mwendwa said her parents had given their blessing, while he is planning to pay the bride price.

The woman, a widow with two children, did not want to be named.He said he hoped to have his own children with the woman, but she would have to decide.

Kenyan family lawyer Judy Thongori told the Daily Nation that the law does not explicitly forbid polyandry.

"The laws we have do not talk about it but for such a union to be recognised in Kenya, it has to be either under the statutory law or as customary marriage. The question we should ask now is whether these people come from communities that have been practising polyandry," she is quoted as saying.