Why more Luo women are facing the Mountain in search of husbands

A woman praying with her hans strechted out, (Courtesy/iStockphoto) Luo men accuse their women of being proud and disrespectful while the women claim their rich men are prone to polygamy For many years, intermarriage between Luo women and Kikuyu men was nearly unheard of. It was uncommon to see a troop of well-off Kikuyu men and their entourage visiting Nyanza to pay dowry and take a daughter from the lake to the mountain. Here, most Luo women were like a preserve for their own tribesmen and very few got married in other parts of the country. The same, however, did not apply to rich Luo men who are easygoing and do not mind a slice of the finer parts of the mountain in the form of Kikuyu women. Today, the trend is rapidly changing as more women from the lakeside marry rich and influential Kikuyu men. Among the notable names who have fished the beauties of the lake include former president Uhuru Kenyatta's son Jomo, who tied the knot with Fiona Achola, granddaughter of the late Luo political giant William Omamo. Achola, who has Luo, Kikuyu, and Ugandan blood, became part of the Kenyatta family in 2016 just before the 2017 General Election. Others like the late Major George Magondu have since followed the trend by marrying gorgeous young Luo women in lavish weddings. The 29-year-old pilot, who died in the chopper tragedy that also killed Chief of Defence Forces Francis Ogolla, was married to a fellow military officer, Captain Brenda Okello. According to most Luo women interviewed by the Nairobian, they are shifting to marrying Kikuyu men stating that Luo men are prideful, egocentric and stubborn. A number of Luo women claimed they prefer to marry men from other communities because Luo men tend to go polygamous whenever they become successful. "Rich Luo men prefer to have a long line of partners and it is just a headache. You can build with them from scratch but the moment he gets financial success, that is the end for you," says Maureen Ouko. She argues that unlike Kikuyu men, successful Luo men barely settle in marriage and are always looking for avenues to have more women in their lives. "From my point of view, Kikuyu men are more chilled, very reasonable, and understanding which makes them the most compatible match for Luo women who are mostly very stubborn and proud," says Rose Atieno. Maurine Soyo, who is married to a man from Meru, said Luo men are stubborn and demanding. "In my dating era, I went out with a couple of Luo men but none of them were a match up until I met my current husband," she said. Soyo noted that although Luo men are spendthrifts, most of them exhibit lack of respect when they are in positions of influence. In response, Luo men accuse their women of being proud and disrespectful of their men. Billy Ochieng, a banker, said most Luo women are interested in material things and expensive lifestyles which they cannot afford on their own. Most Luo women, he said, are not patient with their men, which explains why some prefer to marry Kikuyu men who are perceived to be hardworking and loaded financially, hence capable of affording the kind of lifestyle they prefer. "Most of our women especially the educated ones are carefree and like the finer things in life forgetting that it takes time to get there," said Ochieng. Barry Oloo said Luo women are more stubborn than those from other communities. "Luo men with their huge egos, pride, and stubbornness don't prefer to marry Luo women who are equally egocentric, proud, and stubborn," he said. According to Oloo, Luo men and women are considered the most incompatible match among all the tribes in Kenya. Jonathan Karuri, who is married to a Luo woman from Homa Bay, said the journey to his wife's ancestral home took his family several hours on the road, needing them to plan sleeping arrangements in a hotel in Kisumu as they couldn't spend the night at his wife's home. "I did not marry because of the tribe. I married because I was looking for a wife and it has been a good journey," said Karuri. Joseph Mburu, a businessman in Kisumu, says he opted to marry a Luo woman because of love. He operates a hotel in Kisumu. "Most of my friends have also married Luo women because they can stay in marriage through thick and thin," says Mburu. He attributed his relocation to Kisumu to his wife of eight years.

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