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At the age of 17, Caroline Mwita, from Kisii town in southwestern Kenya, has already had four husbands. She talked to IRIN/PlusNews about her first-hand experience of wife inheritance, a traditional practice in western Kenya.
"I met my future husband when I was around 13 years old and I went to Kisii town to live with my father, who worked there as a watchman.
"We talked [she and her future husband] and he told me that he was working in one of the supermarkets as a loader, and we started going out.
"I managed to convince him that I should finish my primary schooling before we could marry. Unfortunately, before I could even sit for my final primary education exam, I became pregnant and we decided to get married.
"After only one year, my husband died. He had been sick on and off but I did not expect him to die that soon. After the burial, I was told that I would be inherited and I was scared, because the man who would inherit me was old enough to be my father.
"I had no choice but to do as they wanted. I could not even go back to my parents because my father [agreed with] these people. All I could do was cry, but I soon got used to it.
"The first man to inherit me died, and our child died soon after birth. And it is then that I realised I was [HIV] positive.
"The second man only stayed for three months and left to inherit another woman. I am now living with the third man to inherit me after my husband's death.
"I do not know whether I got HIV from my husband or from [one of] these men. We have sex without even protection, yet you cannot even tell them a thing.
"It is sad, because somebody is just inheriting you, yet the community gives them complete control over you.
"At times I wish I had listened to my mother, who advised me against getting married early."
ko/ks/he
"I met my future husband when I was around 13 years old and I went to Kisii town to live with my father, who worked there as a watchman.
"We talked [she and her future husband] and he told me that he was working in one of the supermarkets as a loader, and we started going out.
"I managed to convince him that I should finish my primary schooling before we could marry. Unfortunately, before I could even sit for my final primary education exam, I became pregnant and we decided to get married.
"After only one year, my husband died. He had been sick on and off but I did not expect him to die that soon. After the burial, I was told that I would be inherited and I was scared, because the man who would inherit me was old enough to be my father.
"I had no choice but to do as they wanted. I could not even go back to my parents because my father [agreed with] these people. All I could do was cry, but I soon got used to it.
"The first man to inherit me died, and our child died soon after birth. And it is then that I realised I was [HIV] positive.
"The second man only stayed for three months and left to inherit another woman. I am now living with the third man to inherit me after my husband's death.
"I do not know whether I got HIV from my husband or from [one of] these men. We have sex without even protection, yet you cannot even tell them a thing.
"It is sad, because somebody is just inheriting you, yet the community gives them complete control over you.
"At times I wish I had listened to my mother, who advised me against getting married early."
ko/ks/he
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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