In the village of Gitithia, the pioneer villagers held deeply to their traditions. Among the most sacred was the payment of dowries, a practice woven into the fabric of their lives. No man lived with his wife without first knowing her parents and her people. Dowry payment was not a task completed in a single day; it was a commitment fulfilled over several years. The elders would often say, “Muracia umwe utatira.”
For them, paying dowry was a path to peace and fulfillment. It was believed that those who neglected this duty were not entitled to receive dowries when their own daughters married. To do so would invite misfortune upon their households. Dowries were not measured in currency but in goats, sheep, and cattle. It was not seen as a business transaction but as giving back what had been given—a way to honor the ancestral traditions. If a father had given a hundred goats to marry, that exact number was expected in return, without any subtraction or addition.
The process of paying dowry in Gitithia village was not a public event, not something for the village, the church, or friends to witness. It was a private family affair, conducted quietly and respectfully. It was not the domain of young men but of the elders, the old men who understood the weight of what had been given and received. These men were guardians of tradition, ensuring that no one received more than what had been given. If ever there was an excess, it was promptly taken to the wife's parents, for the elders knew that to disrupt the balance would bring trouble to the families involved. They were experts in unearthing issues and meticulously following ancestral orders.
During dowry payments, another aspect was addressed: compensating for what the wife had destroyed in her youth. Broken gourds, shattered pots, lost ropes—each item was counted and accounted for. These were not arbitrary charges but lessons meant to instill responsibility. Young men, now in-laws, were also held accountable for items they had taken from their wives' parents and failed to return. Additionally, if a wife had returned to her parents' home for any reason, the husband was required to pay 'utungata,' a fine that restored harmony between the families.
But as time passed, a new generation emerged in Gitithia. This generation was different—Christians, educated, and dismissive of the old ways. They did not see the need to pay dowries or even to know where their wives came from. Yet, their daughters brought in dowries, which they consumed without thought. They established their own dowry procedures, modern and detached from the ancestral practices. But the ancestors did not forget. They watched, and when the time came, they sent their punishments upon this new generation, reminding them of the old ways that could not be so easily cast aside.
For them, paying dowry was a path to peace and fulfillment. It was believed that those who neglected this duty were not entitled to receive dowries when their own daughters married. To do so would invite misfortune upon their households. Dowries were not measured in currency but in goats, sheep, and cattle. It was not seen as a business transaction but as giving back what had been given—a way to honor the ancestral traditions. If a father had given a hundred goats to marry, that exact number was expected in return, without any subtraction or addition.
The process of paying dowry in Gitithia village was not a public event, not something for the village, the church, or friends to witness. It was a private family affair, conducted quietly and respectfully. It was not the domain of young men but of the elders, the old men who understood the weight of what had been given and received. These men were guardians of tradition, ensuring that no one received more than what had been given. If ever there was an excess, it was promptly taken to the wife's parents, for the elders knew that to disrupt the balance would bring trouble to the families involved. They were experts in unearthing issues and meticulously following ancestral orders.
During dowry payments, another aspect was addressed: compensating for what the wife had destroyed in her youth. Broken gourds, shattered pots, lost ropes—each item was counted and accounted for. These were not arbitrary charges but lessons meant to instill responsibility. Young men, now in-laws, were also held accountable for items they had taken from their wives' parents and failed to return. Additionally, if a wife had returned to her parents' home for any reason, the husband was required to pay 'utungata,' a fine that restored harmony between the families.
But as time passed, a new generation emerged in Gitithia. This generation was different—Christians, educated, and dismissive of the old ways. They did not see the need to pay dowries or even to know where their wives came from. Yet, their daughters brought in dowries, which they consumed without thought. They established their own dowry procedures, modern and detached from the ancestral practices. But the ancestors did not forget. They watched, and when the time came, they sent their punishments upon this new generation, reminding them of the old ways that could not be so easily cast aside.
