Polygamy: Why Kenyan men will have to consult first wives before marrying again

The judge said women had an equal say

• The High Court had ruled in 2015 that women had a right to decide who their co-wives would be
• Justice Ngugi said men should not register polygamy without the consent of their wives
• She said that marriages without the consent of the previous wife are inconsistent with the Constitution

In 2015, the High Court in Nairobi ruled that women had a right to decide who their co-wives would be in polygamous marriages.

In an October 28 ruling that arose from a case that sought to invalidate the Marriage Act concerning customary unions, Justice Mumbi Ngugi said men should not be allowed to register polygamy without the consent of their wives.