Man storms out of dowry negotiations crying extortion

A bunch of elders in Masinga, Machakos County were recently forced to eat humble pie and beg an angry suitor to marry their daughter, after he walked out of ongoing dowry negotiations, accusing them of extorting him.

The suitor only identified as Mwendwa caused a stir after he ordered the people who had accompanied him to the function, to pack the goods he had presented as dowry onto a pick-up, leaving the home in a fit of rage. This was after the elders inflated the cost of his bride and fined him heavily for “misbehaving”.

As is the custom among the Akamba, Mwendwa had arrived at his in-laws’ home with a delegation comprising his extended family, friends, neighbours and workmates, to pay dowry. His in-laws had prepared food and were serving alcoholic drinks.

As they dined and wined, Mwendwa got tipsy and without a care in the world, staggered onto the dance floor and began dancing with women inappropriately. 

Fines imposed

This he did to the chagrin of his in-laws and wife-to-be. “His unbecoming behaviour upset the wazee (old men) who decided to fine him two goats. “He stopped dancing inappropriately, apologised and agreed to pay the fine,” intimated a source who attended the ceremony.

Much later, during their stay at the home, one of the men who accompanied Mwendwa was accused of having kicked a dog.

“The elders fined Mwendwa three more goats for the bad manners of a member of his delegation,” reveals the source. Everything else went on well until later when Mwendwa’s family began to renegotiate the dowry, seeing as there had been a couple of fines imposed.

Mwendwa had initially agreed to give Sh80,000, 82 goats and other material goods. Instead of the goats, he was asked to pay an extra Sh80,000, which would be the equivalent of 40 goats (at the cost of Sh2,000 each) and give the other 42 goats later.

The in-laws however, consulted and made fresh demands, insisting that Mwendwa pay all the dowry at once because, they said, he was a man of means. To their shock, a miffed Mwendwa walked out and instructed his men to load all the goods they had brought onto the pickup and leave.

When the elders discovered that Mwendwa was not joking, his fiancé run to him crying and begged him to change his mind, telling him to just “just pay what you have”.

Elders joined her and implored Mwendwa to cool his temper, pleading and begging him to sit down and discuss but a tipsy, peeved Mwendwa would hear none of it. He left. The relationship now hangs in the balance.