A research on infidelity carried out last year by a local company revealed that a majority of married women were having extra-marital affairs.

The research by Infotrak Research and Consulting found out than more than half of married women have clandestine partners - 77.3 per cent of respondents interviewed revealed that they knew at least one adulterous married woman.

The research, which was commissioned by The Nairobian, was carried out between September 13 and 15 last year and interviewed 800 respondents. It also revealed that women from western Kenya were the most unfaithful, with more than 85 per cent of respondents sampled in Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma and Busia counties acknowledging they knew married women in illicit affairs.

Married women in Nyanza came second with 84.8 per cent of respondents claiming they knew married women in extra marital affairs. Nairobi came third with a score of 76.5 per cent, followed by Rift Valley (74.4 per cent), Coast (74.3 per cent), Eastern (73.3 per cent) and North Eastern 65.2 per cent.

Of all the male respondents interviewed, 73.7 per cent indicated that they knew women in extra-marital relationships, while a significant 80.4 per cent of female respondents said married women had mpango wa kando.

People aged between 35 and 39 years were well aware of the matter - 85 per cent said they knew of women with lovers outside marriage. A similar score was given by respondents aged between 56 and 59 years, while 67.7 per cent of interviewees above 60 years were aware of women cheating on their husbands.

More than 84 per cent of divorced/separated respondents indicated that the practice was common, while 77.2 per cent of married women said they knew those with secret lovers. Single and widowed women tied at 76.3 per cent.

Most of those interviewed were married, comprising 63.8 per cent of the sample, distantly followed by singles (31 per cent), widowed (2.8 per cent) and divorced/separated (2.4 per cent).

Another research conducted by Consumer Insight in September 2014 indicated that at least one in every four married women were unhappy; with the majority blaming their dejection on the wrong choice of husband.

The church was polled as the most unlikely place a woman would take her mpango wa kando. The survey showed that a woman, irrespective of her marital status, was unlikely to be alone, especially in entertainment joints, with 92 per cent of respondents indicating that a man was the most likely company.