The law needs to strike a balance on protecting the children. Many men have no problem taking care of their children but supporting the mother is such a hell of complexity for an African man. Given the poverty around, it will take some decades before we internalise sending money to a woman who is living alone some place or seeing other men. Even Black men in the diaspora are really having it hard internalising this.
Most of the cases I have seen deal with supporting children. Sadly the mothers find ways to add their own cash.
The law however protects a spouse during separation and after divorce from suffering especially if she contributed to the making of the wealth the husband claims alone. It provides for the community property to be shared equally. it is limited to the wealth acquired from day one of marriage or cohabitation. Note that I used the word spouse meaning it is gender neutral.
The reality of our banana republic is such that women are less likely to be the wealthy partner.
From the African cultural perspective though as long as you have sired a child or children with a woman and lived with her for a while she is your wife and your responsibility the rest of her life. You can go through the motions of divorce etc but once the children grow up and especially boys who inherit land, that woman you threw out will be back in the house built by her son. So wise men just get a second wife and let the other stay.
Among Luos and Luhyas when such a man dies, he gets buried outside the elder wife's house apende asipende. Its the ignoring of our culture that has caused many of these problems. We replaced traditional rituals with modern ritualism.
Topic: The Question of Women's Rights - Lydia Mugure Case (Read 1692 times)