AFRICAN POLYGYNY: FAMILY VALUES AND CONTEMPORARY CHANGES 211 irresponsible practice of this custom by many men in ter group over the parent church's opposition to polyg modernizing circumstances throughout the Africa yny(Sunday Nation, January 6, 1985) continent. A few examples drawn from the Kenya media will provide readers with a sense of the tone surrounding what can be thought of as a public dis- GROWING UP IN A POLYGYNOUS HOME course concerning doubts over the suitability of polyg ny in contemporary times In general, our interviews revealed that East Africans Kilbride and Kilbride (1990), in discussing the have both positive and negative memories about modernization of tradition in East Africa, present growing up in polygynous homes. Although jealousy excerpts from newspapers and magazines published and conflict were present, especially between cowives in Nairobi, Kenya. The gist of the polygyny debate as concerning economic injustices, this was less likely to seen in mass media discourse will be presented here be the case when the polygynous home was a wealthy Many Western-educated, urban Kenyan women no one. Importantly, in keeping with traditional values, longer find polygyny acceptable. One prominent whether talking about the past or the present, more female Kenyan politician, in her address at a seminar positive impressions about life in a polygynous home on"Women and the Church, " urged that the churches as parents or as children were given if the family was ban polygyny, which she described as"more danger- rich. Two cases from Kenyan research will illustrate ous than malaria"(Daily Nation, May 18, 1985). She this variation was, however, compassionate with the plight of single The first case deals with the recollections of a Ugan women who, because of an imbalance in the sex ratio, dan woman, here called Marjorie, who is 40 years old found themselves chasing after other womens hus. she is a high school graduate whose father is a wealthy bands or settling for second or third wives. As the fol- agricultural officer. He has four wives and 25 children lowing argument from a male Kenyan politician will Her own mother was the senior wife. Before taking a illustrate, modern educated men tend to be mor second wife, her father provided her mother with her favorable to polygyny. In his view, foreign influences own home and land near to where two of her other chil- are responsible for present social ills. To counteract dren were attending boarding school. When Marjorie this moral decline, he suggests returning to their tradi was in sixth grade, she went to live with her father and tions, including polygyny, which he believes would is second wife and her children so that she could help reduce the number of unmarried women roam- attend school nearby their residence. Interestingly, she ing the streets as prostitutes"(Daily Nation, July 9, states that although her stepmother gave her a lot of 1985) chores to do, she didnt mind She liked her stepmother Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, which is offi- whom she described as being good. On school holic cially opposed to the practice of polygyny, some Protes- she went back to her own mother, who was even stricter tant churches are becoming more tolerant of it. A bishop with her because it was her mother s job to teach Mar of the Anglican Church in Kenya stated that while jorie all her female duties. Marjorie states that although monogamy may be ideal"for the expression of love their family was large, everyone always had enough to between a husband and wife, " the church should eat and plenty of land to farm. The children treated each sider that in certain cultures polygyny is socially accept- other well. "Myself and the stepsisters, we don't say able and that the belief that polygyny is contrary to who is your mother? ' We are all like sisters and broth- Christianity was no longer tenable(The Weekly Review ers"(Kilbride and Kilbride 1990: 207). As behooves a August 1, 1987). The Catholic Archbishop of Nairobi, good polygynous husband, her father showed no who himself was raised in a polygynous home, ex favoritism--at least as could be perceived by marjorie pressed the Catholic Church,s opposition to it when he She stated that she never knew who her father loved spoke to a gathering of young people about the sacra st. The cowives also followed the traditional custom ment of marriage. He admonished them to do"the will of giving respect and deference to the senior wife. Mar- of God"rather than blindly following their customs. As jorie also reported that she liked her father very much he put it, "God wanted one Adam and one Eve, not one Our next account is a less favorable recollection of Adam and three Eves nor five Adams and one Eve" growing up in a polygynous home by a man in his (Daily Nation, February 11, 1985). Sometimes differences mid-20s, here called Robert. His father, like Marjorie's, of opinion regarding polygyny erupt within splinter also has four wives. Unfortunately, this mans eco- groups of a particular religion. The Friends Church in lomic situation is much less favorable. He has 31 chil- Kakamega, Kenya, for le, faced a leadership cri dren, thus far, with his youngest being less than one sis between its"old and monogamist founders"and its year old. Also, Robert's mother is not in as favorable a young and polygamist followers"who formed a splin position economically or in terms of respect in that she