Drama as mother disappears with daughter’s dowry, leaves kinsmen baffled

Posted by Abiolapaul on April 13, 2021 at 5:54pm


There was drama during a dowry payment ceremony when the bride's mother made away with the bride price paid by her in-laws.

The bride's mother, identified as Anne Maweni, reportedly feared her kinsmen would short-change her and left the ceremony with the dowry amounting to Sh170,000.

The ceremony was underway in Garsen, Tana River County, Kenya, when family members noticed Maweni, the bride's mother, was no longer present.

"During the ceremony, she is the one who served the guests and elders food but did not join them on the table. Nobody knew what time she left," said Maweni’s sister Veronica Meilu.

Efforts to reach her on phone were futile as she had switched it off.

Maweni later texted her sister with another number asking her to oversee the remainder of the ceremony.

It was then that the elders and in-laws who had gathered for the ceremony realized that something was amiss.

"I was not aware of my sister’s plans, but here I was being put to task, to explain how we stole the dowry and where my sister was," said Meilu.

As the leaders were contemplating reporting the "heist" to the police, Maweni called to explain why she took off.

"She asked me to put the phone on loudspeaker before revealing that the dowry 'theft' was a plan she had hatched with the son-in-law before the ceremony," Ms Meilu said.

Maweni said that they switched the bag containing money with one that had wrappers.

"Yes, we counted the money together but we exchanged the bag containing money with that holding wrappers because the elders are not deserving of any gains from my daughter," Anne Maweni said on phone.

It also emerged that it was the son-in-law who left the ceremony with the bride price.

Maweni defended her actions, recalling how her kinsmen abandoned her when her husband died, leaving her with two children, a five-year-old girl, and a two-year-old boy.

"After the demise of my husband, you sent me away with nothing but my daughter. You took my son away, and he later died in your hands. Then, you said that the community had no use for a girl child," she told the elders on phone.

"I have left you with female wrappers to wear since you did not stand for a widow, at her time of need," she said.

Ms Maweni, however, promised to send part of the dowry money to only one elder for his support during her tribulations and also standing in for her daughter’s marriage ceremony.

"Mzee Bajila, you are like a father to me and witnessed the atrocities against me. You fought for me in vain. So only you, deserve a portion of this money," she said and hung up.

Na she born the pinkin na she go chop the money

Wahala! Which kind of woman be that?

Ayeong:
Wahala! Which kind of woman be that?

She be FEMINIST WOMAN. THAT'S ONE OF THEIR CHARACTERISTICS... MAKE E NO CHOKE YOU!

The woman do well jare, u 'll only see all dis elders when it comes to enjoyment ..

Ayeong:
Wahala! Which kind of woman be that?

E dey like say the kinsmen be don show am shege but I come dey wonder how she meet the money

But some kinsmen no dey try at all, now the girl has suddenly become useful because of bride price.

[The bride's mother, identified as Anne Maweni, reportedly feared her kinsmen would short-change her and left the ceremony with the dowry amounting to Sh170,000.

Guys una dey see dowery?

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So this kinsmen wanting marriage rebate thing doesn't reside in naija alone....and they were contemplating reporting the "heist" to the police. Awon werey

Whichever way u may look at this from, absconding with daughter's dowry in African culture is never the better option, whether she raised her all her self or she's just being a feminist, if she and her family had lived and survived till her daughter was grown to get married then this dowry cannot change her life story, some things are better left the way they're

I like her audacity.

I know women who were widowed at a young age, abandoned by the family of their husbands.

These women struggled to bring up children only for these yeye husband's family to come and collect everything on bridal list and even bride price.

My mum is one of such women. Na 5 can malt and five tubers of yam reach her.

Meanwhile a family friend of mine, also widowed, collected and chopped her daughter's bride price alone, nothing do the woman.

She did well, the don't deserve a penny.

Romanoff:
I like her audacity.

I know women who were widowed at a young age, abandoned by the family of their husbands.

These women struggled to bring up children only for these yeye husband's family to come and collect everything on bridal list and even bride price.

My mum is one of such women. Na 5 can malt and five tubers of yam reach her.

Meanwhile a family friend of mine, also widowed, collected and chopped her daughter's bride price alone, nothing do the woman.

You see ehn, sometimes I begin to question some Africa belief or should I say tradition. The Father to an African girl child died and the father's family flew for more than 20yrs no support, no advise, no words of encouragement. The young girl and the mother managed to survive and God doing it, she met a man she like to spend the rest of her life with. Boom! the father's family up from nowhere, even telling the husband what to bring in other for the marriage to commence.
Is that not wickedness?
You dey always talk about this bride price thing, that your mum paid all the sacrifices but then they just gave her the ice on the cake lol..... sorry about that.

IAMPEDRO:
You see ehn, sometimes I begin to question some Africa belief or should I say tradition. The Father to an African girl child died and the father's family flew for more than 20yrs no support, no advise, no words of encouragement. The young girl and the mother managed to survive and God doing it, she met a man she like to spend the rest of her life with. Boom! the father's family up from nowhere, even telling the husband what to bring in other for the marriage to commence.
Is that not wickedness?
You dey always talk about this bride price thing, that your mum paid all the sacrifices but then they just gave her the ice on the cake lol..... sorry about that.

My dear, it angered me and still does.

That woman suffer no be small.

Wow the woman did the right thing. Luckily the marriage rights had been concluded before she left with the son in-law , the couple were already married. The evil elders have been duly paid back with embarrassment. Hope her daughter understands and accepts her mother's action.

.Amazing things.What money is worth your child happiness?

Very brave woman, I like her guts