Why more men are dying single and childless

Why more men are dying single and childless (Photo: iStock)

Single mothers became common before single, childless and economically stable women who claim independence became a common feature. Most women without children, barring fertility issues, choose not to raise their children out of wedlock. When the serious man decided to take a tangent behind her home, she conditioned herself to let motherhood go. This was well understood, and Kenyan society somehow made peace with it.

There is a new monkey in town, but let us first get the bonobo out. This article is about single, straight men. On my trip upcountry recently, I found my mother discussing a recently departed villager. Apparently, those who went for his burial were back home by two in the afternoon. There was not much to be said of a man who chose not to marry or have children. This is deep in rural Kenya; the women my mother was talking to could not hide their surprise.