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Kenyan women lost their husbands and then their land. But some are fighting back
Widows in western Kenya use lawsuits, legal aid, and new county laws to fight forced disinheritance, affecting thousands, with Siaya County passing a protective Widows Bill.
- This year, widows in western Kenya filed a lawsuit challenging forced disinheritance, while 70-year-old Rebecca Anyango lacks legal representation and fears losing her home of 26 years.
- Customary practices in some communities override statutory succession rules, as customary inheritance practices often harm widows despite Kenya's succession laws, said Easter Okech of Kenya Female Advisory Organization.
- In one documented case, Anne Bonareri was stripped of her home and commercial property in Kisii County after her husband's death, and within hours her in-laws took possessions, forcing her to work three jobs to rebuild.
- Siaya County's assembly passed a Widows Protection Bill championed by Scholastica Madowo that creates welfare committees and would criminalize forced disinheritance if signed by the governor.
- Emma Mong'ute, founder of Amandla MEK Foundation, offers legal training, links widows to pro bono lawyers, and some groups would consider pushing for bills like Siaya's.
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Associated Press News+24 Reposted by 24 other sources
Kenyan women lost their husbands and then their land. But some are fighting back
Thousands of widows in western Kenya face losing their land after their husbands die. In certain ethnic groups, widows are pressured to marry their late husband's brother or have sex with another man to "cleanse” them of the stigma of widowhood.
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Total News Sources26
Leaning Left12Leaning Right1Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Left
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources lean Left
60% Left
L 60%
C 35%
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