Furious Bomet man storms son-in-law’s home demanding delayed dowry

Sages say, with dowry, just like tax, you can run and hide but at the end of the day you must pay it. Bride price is still held in high esteem in most communities and this is probably the only creative way of appreciating a woman’s parents for the bother of raising and educating her.

But of late, young men have been playing hide and seek with their in-laws over that small matter. Other pay half of it and engage their in-laws in cat and mouse games over the outstanding balance for decades.

One such man, surnamed Boiyo, in Kipsonoi, Bomet County, was, however, not so lucky. Tired of pleading with him to pay dowry in vain, his no nonsense father-in-law made an impromptu visit to his home and read him the riot act.

Demanding that the 36-year-old shows cause why he should not be punished, Julius Lasoi wanted to know why he was taking his sweet time and taking him in circles over the matter.

Armed with nothing but a walking stick, the old man swaggered into the home and made his presence felt in style. He launched into a lengthy tirade, demanding to know why the young man had not bothered to show appreciation, yet continued to sire children with his daughter.

According to him, customarily, it was inappropriate for the young man to go to a point of siring a third child with his daughter, without caring to even drag the scrawniest of a goat to him.

“What is wrong with you? Pay up! I have waited enough and you seem not bothered at all!” the old man is quoted to have roared. Reportedly, he got wind that his son-in-law had started a thriving dairy zero-grazing unit that was raking him substantial earnings from milk sales.

Breach of traditions

He, therefore, could not understand why the man, despite doing well financially, wasn’t feeling slightest of guilt to pay up.

He slammed him for behaving as if his wife had no family that raised her. What’s more, he decried that her daughter was married in an unorthodox manner and as such, he expected the son-in-law to visit him, apologise and formally ask for her hand in marriage.

Attempts by the son-in-law to explain to him that some dowry plans were actually in place, fell on deaf ears. Julius whined that his age mates were already enjoying their dowry, while he was not, six years after Boiyo eloped with his daughter. In a fit of rage, he questioned the man on what was holding him back, yet he was doing well financially.

“Are you waiting for me to die in order to bring the dowry?” He is quoted to have angrily asked while threatening to order his daughter to withdraw labour in the home. It took the intervention of the daughter, who prevailed upon him to go home and rest while, assuring him that her husband was willing to pay the dowry. He reminded the father to appreciate the fact that she was married to a responsible man, who was taking care of the children and her well.

The old man grudgingly agreed but gave the son-in-law one month to organise his delegation and pay him a visit to clear the matter. He warned that should they fail to do so, he would deny them his blessings. The incident shocked the village considering that such a case rarely happens. Conservative village mates blamed Boiyo for neither visiting nor sending emissaries to even apologise for the breach of tradition.

To soften the situation, Boiyo had to hire a motorbike to take the old man home, as well as giving him some pocket money. The young man has since been burning midnight oil to ensure he pays up.