Polygyny in Kenya by County

Polygyny is a form of polygamy where a man marries multiple women. It is different from polyandry, where a woman is married to multiple men. Polygyny is mostly legal and more common in Africa than in other parts of the world.^[1]

In Kenya, 9.2% of currently married women aged 15 – 49 in 2022 were in polygynous unions.

Quick Facts

• Polygyny is legal in Kenya, with 9.2% of currently married women in polygynous unions.
• Among currently married men, 4.5% reported having more than two wives in 2022.
• Polygyny increases with age, with young people less likely to be polygynous.
• Polygyny in Kenya decreases with the level of education, with more educated individuals less likely to be polygynous.
• Polygyny decreases with the level of wealth, with a higher prevalence among those low wealth. 

Polygyny is legal in Kenya and well-captured by DHS surveys

Unlike many other parts of the world where polygyny is outlawed, it is still present and well documented by DHS surveys in Kenya. The Marriage Act 2014 recognizes polygamous marriages in Kenya. 

However, despite polygyny being highly prevalent in Africa, it is on the decline in Kenya. In 1989, a DHS survey in Kenya found a polygyny rate of 23%, excluding North Eastern and some parts of the upper Eastern regions.^[2]

The prevalence of polygyny declined to 16% in 2003 and dropped further to 9.2% during the DHS's most recent survey in 2022.

Polygyny in Kenya is higher among individuals in older age groups.

Among currently married women aged 15 – 49 with one or more co-wives, 14.6% were between the ages of 45 – 49, compared to 4.7% among those aged 20 – 24. Similarly, 10.6% of women in polygynous unions were between the age of 40 – 44 compared to 6.2% among women aged 25 – 29.^[3]

Among male respondents with more than two wives, 8.2% were between the age of 45 – 49, compared to only 0.9% between the age of 20 – 24. 

Decreasing polygyny with age suggests it was commonly practised in the past, consistent with previous DHS findings.

Higher levels of polygyny are associated with lower levels of education

Among women with one or more co-wives, the DHS found that 33.6% had no education compared to only 3% with more than secondary education.^[4]

Among male respondents, 15% of those with more than two wives did not have an education, compared to 2.4% with more than a secondary education.

Higher levels of polygyny are associated with lower wealth levels

There is a significant association between poverty in Kenya and polygyny, with the 2022 DHS finding that wealthier individuals had lower levels of polygyny.

Among men with more than two wives, 10.7% were in the lowest wealth quintile, 4.2% in the second, 3.9% in the middle quintile, 3.6% in the fourth, and 2.8% in the highest wealth quintile.^[5]

Among female respondents with one or more co-wives, 20.7% were in the lowest wealth level, 9.7% in the second, 9.4% in the middle, 5.6% in the fourth, and 4.3% in the highest wealth level.

More than half of Kenyan Muslims believe polygamy is morally acceptable

Polygamy is illegal in a majority of countries in the world, with a recent Pew survey showing that only 2% of the population in the world lives in polygamous households. In the United States, only 20% of adults said polygamy was morally acceptable.^[6]  

In Kenya, 53% of Muslims said polygamy is morally acceptable compared to 30% who said it is morally wrong.

Polygyny in Kenya is more common in some counties than in others

Polygyny in Kenya was highest in Turkana County, where 47.6% of currently married women aged 15 – 49 in 2022 had one or more co-wives. It was followed by Wajir County, where 37.5% of married women had co-wives, then West Pokot and Samburu, where 30.7% of married women had co-wives.^[7]

Polygyny was lowest among the married women of Kitui County, where only 1.2% had co-wives, followed by Vihiga at 1.9%.

In male respondents, polygyny was highest in Kwale County, where 31.6% of currently married men aged 15 – 49 reported having more than two wives. Mandera followed it at 19.7%, Turkana at 17.9%, and Wajir at 16.5%.

Polygyny among male respondents was lowest in Nyandarua at 0%, Kakamega at 0%, Embu at 0.8%, and Kitui at 0.9%.

Census 2019 recorded a lower prevalence of polygamous unions

The prevalence of marriage in Kenya, according to the 2019 census, was 51.1% in women and 48.8% in men.

Unlike the DHS 2022, which recorded a polygyny rate of 9.2% in Kenya, the 2019 census found that only 2.8% of men and 3% of women aged 12 and above were in polygamous marriages.^[8]

Polygamy is lower in Kenya than in other parts of Africa

Globally, only 2% of individuals say they come from polygamous households. However, the practice is quite prevalent in Africa, with Pew reporting that 11% of individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa live in polygamous households.^[9]

Polygyny is highest in Burkina Faso, where 36% of individuals live in households where the husband has multiple spouses, followed by Mali 34%, Gambia 30%, Niger 29%, Nigeria 28%, Guinea 26%, Guinea-Bissau 23%, and Senegal 23%.^[10] 

Polygamy is mostly practiced by Muslims, with 40% of individuals living in polygamous households in Burkina Faso and Nigeria being Muslim.

Polygyny can partially be attributed to sex ratio imbalances that are out of the norm.

The sex ratio is the number of males per 100 females in a population. It is not constant and varies across regions and age groups for reasons such as migration, life expectancy, and mortality.^[11]

A higher number of females compared to males often leads to polygyny as more men seek multiple wives. These disparities could be caused by wars or diseases that disproportionately impact the number of men in the population.

In Kenya, however, sex ratios are within normal levels, with World Bank sources reporting that females comprise 50.4% of the population.^[12] The 2019 census also found that the sex ratio in the country was 98 males per 100 females.^[13]

In some regions and counties in Kenya, sex ratios at birth (SRB) are skewed toward a disproportionate number of males compared to females, going above the recommended UN average of 105 males for every 100 males.

For instance, Samburu, Turkana, and Wajir had a sex ratio at birth of 109 males per 100 females. Tana River and Isiolo had a sex ratio at birth of 108 males per 100 females. In comparison, Marsabit and Garissa had sex ratios of 107 males per 100 females. Lamu and Baringo had sex ratios of 106.3 males and 106.6 males per 100 females.^[14]

Even though there was a possible overcounting of male children in these regions, the prevalence of polygyny in these regions could also be attributed to these sex ratios.

Conclusion

Polygamy occurs when individuals have multiple spouses and is more common in the form of polygyny, where men have multiple wives. In Kenya, the 2022 DHS survey found a polygyny rate of 9.2% among married women aged 15 – 49.

Higher polygyny rates in Kenya were observed to increase with the age of the respondents, suggesting that polygyny was more common in the past. Polygyny, however, decreased as the education levels and wealth of individuals increased.

Polygyny is largely determined by significant disparities in sex ratios, with regions with a disproportionately fewer number of males likely to practice it. In Kenya, some areas have skewed sex ratios corresponding with counties with higher rates of polygyny.

See Also

1. Marriage rates in Kenya by county
2. Monogamy in Kenya
3. Fertility rates in Kenya
4. Crude Birth Rates in Kenya by county

References