Women protest over men "too drunk to make them pregnant"
Women in Kenya’s Ndeiya ward say their drunkard husbands are unable to sire children and they may look elsewhere for sober bedmates.
They said their men have abandoned their homes because of drinking too much illicit brew.
Speaking during a peaceful protest at Thigio shopping centre on Wednesday, the demonstrators said younger women are the worst affected as they are “unproductive”.
“If you walk in this village, you will find so many young married women, but only a few are pregnant. Those who are not are suffering in silence because their men cannot perform,” resident Nancy Wangari said.
She said men have been drinking anything alcoholic to keep them high, but society bears the consequences of sexual dysfunction.
“It would not be a wonder if we start looking for men to sire our children. Our husbands will not know anything. We will trick them that the pregnancies are theirs and they will support us,” Wangari said.
Illicit brew
The 32-year-old mother of one separated from her husband four years ago.
Resident Margaret Waithera asked the government to deregister all wines and spirits outlets in the area. She said the operators abuse the law by secretly selling illicit brew.
Some bars do not adhere to the 5pm to 11pm operating hours, Waithera said
She said some operators lock their customers in their bars as they drink, while others carry alcohol in their pockets and sell it to their customers by the road.
Deputy county commissioner David Kiprop said they are investigating the claims.
He said operators who break the law will have their businesses deregistered.
“We will arrest the bar owners and attendants who break the law and take them to court. After they are convicted, we will ask the county government to deregister them,” Kiprop said.