The 35 year old Rael Mukeku marriage formula has raised eye-brows against all odds of marriages in African setting.
The mother of 11 kids is happily married to two men who are all knowing and happily aware of the situation.
Rael who has been married for the last 25 years, hails from Kathekakai Market bordering the Chyulu Hills National Park in Makueni County.
The girl from a poverty stroke family first got married when she was 10 years old!
“I married my first husband in 1992 and we were blessed with our first child the following year. I have had 10 other children since then,” Ms Mukeku told the Daily Nation.
She later married her second husband.
“The second husband came when I had seven children already. He didn’t like taking care of the children unless some of them were his and this is how we ended up getting more children,” she reveals
The strange woman besides, is a fan of the booze, khat chewing and smoking, but she left the bad odds in August 2018 following doctor’s orders.
She however regrets marrying two broke men who work as casual workers in their local village.
“My only mistake is that I settled on men who are not rich, but this does not worry me much because they are caring and loving,” she says.
She adds that they rely on selling the little they have to survive.
“One sold all his three goats and a kid to clear the hospital bill, while the other provided the money we needed for the day to day upkeep,” she says.
The woman was pushed to settle for a second husband after her 1st husband, Muema Nguu would not suit her needs due to his sicky condition.
Though Muema objected the idea of being married in a polyandrous marriage, he gave in his strong stand and met his would be co-husband.
“It got to a point where he advised me to identify one man and officially introduce him,” she says.
“It was a difficult decision. It was preceded by a difficult period in which I had become weak after suffering a long illness,” says Muema.
Despite striking the deal before elders and older sons, Nguu labored to come into terms with the new regulations
“Upon realizing that he had impregnated her I got mad and warned that such should not be repeated”., he says.
But as wonder would have it, Nguu had to endure seeing his wife pregnant for three more times.
“My relatives are not happy with this arrangement, but every time they complain I remind them that they have refused to help me raise my children,” says Mr Nguu
The idea of identifying kids with their fathers has been a thorn in the foot for this family
“Our main worry has always been that she has been identifying them with their different fathers.
“We have always advised that she treats them equally and that she stops telling them that they belong to this or that husband,” says Mr Timothy Mutua, a neighbour and distant relative.
“His children call me ‘Dad’. When he is unable to clear school fees, I get him sorted out. He reciprocates when I am in a financial mess and he is better off,” says Mr Nguu’s co-husband, Mutuku Muia, 45 years old.
Mr. Nguu comes atleast twice per month at home while Mr.Muia spents all nights with Rael.
But even when they all clash at home, they do not fight over her since as Real says, accepted the marriage covenant.
“they do not fight over anything because they agreed to be in this relationship”.
Story courtesy Daily nation
