When virginity mattered before marriage

Eloping dates back in old days when arranged marriages trended in many African villages. Those were the days when being seen with someone’s daughter hovering in village were a taboo and could land you in trouble. The days when young girls at puberty guarded their virginity at all costs as it was the only thing that mattered in marriage.

Surprisingly, eloping was at some point prohibited although circumstances forced it to be allowed. According to Dennis, 78 from Bumula in Bungoma County, for a man, if he had reached prime time to get married and was not showing any signs to marry, a decision could have been reached for and the man was forced to marry any girl. “In case a man had hit 35 years of age and does not show any sign to marry, the family could force him to marry any girl”, he says.