Woman publicly flogs her wayward husband

By George Olwalo

Extramarital pleasures are only good when they remain a secret. But when the lid of secrecy is lifted and word gets into the ears of those meant to be in the dark, unthinkable things are sure to follow.

And such was the fate of a man whose wife got wind of his adulterous ways in Nyabikae sub-location of Kuria West District. According to eyewitness accounts, the man had been in a romantic relationship with a school leaver in the neighbourhood.

Recently, when the two met on a footpath, one thing led to another and the pair dashed into a nearby maize farm.

Things would have turned out fine for the lovebirds but for rude interruption from the farm owner.

Pleading

Instead of pretending he had seen ‘nothing’, the farmer shouted that he had stumbled upon an abomination. Villagers responded immediately from all directions.

Trance like, the pair remained rooted to the ground, silently pleading for mercy.

But subscribing to the rule of law, the crowd decided to take the lovebirds to the nearest administration official.

Witnesses say that the two were frog marched up to the assistant chief’s home where the lovebirds pleaded guilty as charged and profusely pleaded for forgiveness.

But while the assistant chief was still questioning the pair and admonishing them for their immoral ways, some villagers rushed to the accused man’s home and reported the matter to the real powers that be — his wife.

Strangely, his wife however did not rush to the administrator’s place and those who had reported the matter thought her behaviour strange.

Nimble canes

Little did they know that she had a better plan up her sleeve. When they left, she gathered several nimble canes and stored them in the house.

The assistant chief, perhaps understanding the weakness of the male flesh, forgave the man but warned him never to repeat the mistake.

The adulterous man left the administrator’s place a happy man. He believed the worst was behind him. On entering his home, he behaved as if nothing terrible had happened and assumed his manly duties of questioning things that were not in order.

His wife equally did not welcome him with ugly questions about what had happened. She calmly waited till the man was seated. Then, springing forward like an enraged bull, she tore at him, whipping him viciously and mercilessly, bellowing, “Today you will show me the shamba where you sleep with women!”

Sensing that his dirty, little secret had leaked, the man took to his heels. Unfortunately, his sprightly wife kept up with him and flogged him around the village.

Those who witnessed the scene cheered her on. Many said that she had meted out enough punishment that would teach the husband to change his immoral ways.

And in the storytelling tradition of our people, residents of Nyabikae sub-location, Bukira location, Isebania Division of Kuria West District could not ‘sit’ on the juicy tale.

They gleefully shared it out with their neighbours in Migori District.