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Why Kenyan men dred Kikuyu women

Kenya consists of 42 ethnic communities but one tribe stands out tall among the rest, the Kikuyu tribe.

This is because most Kikuyu ladies are associated with a soft, successful life. In Fact Kikuyu women comprise the biggest number of women who buy property in this city (Nairobi). Most landladies are actually Kikuyus.

Kikuyu women are also risk takers, go-getters and independent. This coupled with their light skin which Kenyan men like to refer to as ‘yellow yellow’ their slender bodies and entrepreneurial minds Kikuyu women are one of the most beautiful and most sought after women in Kenya.

Who are the Kikuyu?

Kikuyu, also called Gikuyu or Agikuyu, Bantu-speaking people who live in the highland area of south-central Kenya, near Mount Kenya.

In the late 20th century the Kikuyu numbered more than 4,400,000 and formed the largest ethnic group in Kenya, approximately 20 percent of the total population. Their own name for themselves is Gikuyu, or Agikuyu.

Today, their main economic activities are trade, agriculture and livestock keeping. They grow many crops including potatoes, bananas, millet, maize, beans and vegetables.

Why Kenyan men fear marrying Kikuyu women

Njambi, a young ‘hustler’ Kikuyu woman hustling in Nairobi points out one of the reasons Kenyan men dred marrying them is their independent minds which most Kenyan men find challenging.

“We are go-getters and independent. We are the last people to have joint accounts with husbands. It’s not good to depend on a man. It’s always good to have your money on the side as a fall back plan, just in case,” says Njambi.

When you marry a Kikuyu, just know the children are not yours

Another reason why Kenyan men steer clear of Kikuyu women is that matriarchal elements still exist in the community. Kikuyus, unlike women from other communities, inherit property such as land and still have a lot of say in naming of children. In their community, children belong to mothers, and in the event of separation or divorce they take them. 

“When you marry a Kikuyu, just know the children are not yours. If the marriage is dissolved, she will go with them. Which man will easily take such a risk? This makes most men who marry these women feel less obligated.” John, a car dealer in Nairobi opines.

Unlike other tribes, Kikuyu women are also so aggressive in perpetuating their dominance. Even when married to men from other ethnic communities, they ensure their children — who are clueless about their fathers’ language — speak Kikuyu.

Kikuyu women can’t stand to see a strong man

Sammy Ndirangu, a social researcher who has worked with two different NGOs in Central Kenya spoke to a local media house and revealed that women empowerment has emboldened women, but unfortunately disenfranchised men, consequently making them less family oriented.

“Most families in the area are dysfunctional, with rampant cases of single motherhood. This, according to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey 2014 , partly explains why Central Kenya has the lowest birth and fertility rates nationally, which are on a steady decline. Most of these women try to teach boys how to be men. Of course, with disastrous results. Boys get a raw deal,” says Ndirangu.

He adds: “In most of those single motherhood homes, girls learn by observation and evolve into their mums; tough as nails and with an inherited distrust for husbands and almost no soft skills needed for partnering with a man in a relationship. Boys on the other hand lack role models and become irresponsible.

“Reported cases of grown men in their 30s and 40s still depending on their mothers and sisters for handouts; teenage boys who resort to street life, alcoholism, and crime are common in the area.”

Kikuyu women are unfaithful 

Finally there is also Kenyan men’s ego at play. Most Kikuyu women are very beautiful and automatically attracts a dozen of admirers who can’t wait to fuck them.

A section of Kenyan men then fear that their Kikuyu girlfriends and wives will cheat on them the minute their little money runs out because they have plenty of options.

Kikuyu women are husband killers

In the same breath, many Kenyan men fear that because of their love for money, Kikuyu women will one day murder them in a cold blood and take away all their properties. Case in point the deadly women of Kabete.

It’s not only Kenyan men but even men from central Kenya, the home of Kikuyus fear marrying women from Kabete.

Women from Kabete, who are famously known as ‘Aka a Kabete’ and famed as 22-carat beauties, are believed to be, among other things, husband killers.

Kabete, most Kenyans have been told, has the highest concentration of widows per square kilometre in Central Kenya.

Besides killing their hubbies, Kabete women are also considered aggressive go-getters who brook no nonsense.

So ingrained is this stereotype that men from Central Kenya believe marrying a Kabete woman will not get them any blessings from their folks.

Most of the households in the area are headed by single mothers or widows.

 “It’s true, many houses here have widows whose husbands died suspiciously” says a musician, born and bred in Kabete. He adds that most of the men also flee King’eero because of domestic abuse.

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