Wife swapping in Kakamega County now gone sour

Susan Juma during interview at Shitirira village in Lurambi, Kakamega County

KAKAMEGA, KENYA: A wife swapping agreement between two men in Kakamega has degenerated into a ridiculous show for villagers in Shitirira in Lurambi, Kakamega County.
Susan Juma, 21, has vowed never to return to her 26 year-old husband, Patrick Mangala, who now wants her back. Juma has been living with another man for over three months now.
Mangala and Ernest Anjeche, 44, decided to swap wives and even appended signatures on an agreement form.
The two men agreed to the deal after it became clear that Mangala was having an affair with Anjeche's wife.
Juma on her part said she had no problem living with Anjeche, whose wife her husband has been cohabiting with for many years.
Currently, Juma is staying with Anjeche at his Shamala village home in Lurambi. Anjeche willingly took in her as revenge to his unfaithful wife Dorine, 22.
The feuding men signed an agreement to swap their wives at area Chief Nicholus Odhiambo's offices in Shikoti about one month. However, Mangala has since disregarded the pact and now want his wife (Juma) back.
Odhiambo said the deal was signed in his absence and demanded that the two men be arrested over the dispute.
"I love Juma and she is always welcome to my home since I still regard her as my wife and want her back without any conditions attached," said Mangala.
Nonetheless, Anjeche wants Mangala to stay with Dorine and stop interfering with his new partner.
"He thought my wife was very beautiful and even had an affair with her secretly, a situation that forced me to take over his wife," he said.
Mangala has since threatened to use force in order to get Juma back. "Anjeche is enjoying living with my wife and that is why I dishonored the agreement," he argued.
Juma however is not ready to go back to Mangala, a boda boda rider and insists that she is satisfied living with Anjeche, a night guard.
"Mangala engaged me in constant quarrels and later decided to be unfaithful," said Juma.
According to her, Anjeche is more responsible and caring compared to the former husband. "He used to beat me whenever he felt like but here I am, treated like a queen and feel very safe in Anjeche's arms."
The agreement stipulated that the two women swap husbands but take with them their children until they are off age.
"Anjeche is now taking care of my former husband's two children aged three years and eight months respectively. Mangala was supposed to do the same to my current husbands two children aged four and two years," said Juma.

The distance between the two homes is barely one kilometer.
The father of Mangala, Mzee Peter Mangala, 66, said it was wrong for the two men to enter into such a ridiculous agreement. "My son and Anjeche come from the same village and they can easily kill each other over that pact," he said.
He regrets that parties involved kept him in the dark about the matter until he came to learn of it when his son was arrested after attacking Anjeche at his home.
Mzee Mangala said he had never witnessed such an arrangement between men since he was born. "It is very strange and something must be done to reconcile the two men or else something bad could happen to either of them as a result of the dispute they are embroiled in."
Juma said she has been contemplating running away with her two children following increasing death threats on them by Mangala.
"People raided our home on Tuesday night and attempted to break into the house through the bedroom window but took off leaving behind a threatening letter after we screamed out for help," she claimed.
Anjeche has since reported the matter to Kakamega police station but Juma said she might be forced to leave if the situation gets out of hand.
"I love Anjeche very much but if Mangala continues to threaten us, I will go away so that both remain bachelors," she said.