Murang’a County have the highest number of sex partners in the country, a new report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS)  reveals.

At 28 percent, women from Murang’a also topped in the category of female respondents who had most sexual partners that were neither their husbands nor men they lived with in the same house.

At 11 percent, women from Murang’a were the highest to confess to having more than two sexual partners in the last 12 months.

In the women category, Murang’a was followed by  Kericho County (27.9 percent), Uasin Gishu (25 percent) and Nandi (23 percent).

The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) was conducted between February 17, 2022 and July 19, 2022.

In November 2020, Murang’a County Commissioner Mohammed Barre said alcoholism among men was affecting population growth in the county.

“When we discuss population in Central region, we cannot forget to mention the impact of alcoholism on growth and the welfare of families. Some men, who are drunkards, have neglected their families, leaving all chores to their wives,” Barre said on November 23, 2020 in Murang’a Town during a consultative forum to collect views for the revision of population policy.

The county commissioner further said that most men in Murang’a aged between 25 and 45 had shirked their duties, thus burdening women with family responsibilities. This, Barre said, was forcing Murang’a women into birth control to avoid having many children that they are unable to take care of.

‘Alcohol to blame’

But what could be the contributing factor to women from Murang’a having multiple sexual partners?

“Poverty is a threat to monogamy. When men can’t provide basic needs for their spouses, women are likely to stray in order to provide food and shelter for themselves and their children,” said Dr. Omariba.

The sociologist said in Murang’a County, most homesteads are headed by women because the men have either abdicated their responsibilities or fled their matrimonial homes.

“This has given rise to a highly matriarchal society in Murang’a, where the woman can do whatever she wishes without being necessarily questioned,” said Dr. Omariba.

The lecturer said it’s about time the boy child in Murang’a was empowered to correct the current relationship dynamics.

Dr. Omariba further said high levels of alcohol addiction in Murang’a County are causing men to abdicate their responsibilities.

“Alcoholism depletes financial resources, energy and alertness. When a man is constantly intoxicated, it becomes impossible for him to continuously provide basic needs because he spends most of his money drinking, and at the same time it becomes difficult for him to meet his spouse’s conjugal needs,” she said.

Contraceptives

At least 72.7 percent of the sampled women in Murang’a County said in the KNBS survey that they were using at least one form of contraceptive method, making them feature among women in counties that have highly embraced contraception.

At the same time, the gender-based violence in Murang’a, especially violence meted out on men, was extremely high, with the county listed among Top Four physical violence-prone counties in Kenya in the recent KNBS report.

Barre’s November 2020 remarks echoed these findings. He said at the time: “Statistics demonstrate we have many cases of gender-based violence that are attributed to alcoholism. This has also led to the breaking of families.”

Murang’a University lecturer Dr. Alice Omariba summarises the causes of women cheating in Murang’a to: alcoholism, the need to provide for children, drug and substance abuse, men’s abdication of responsibilities, emasculation, and higher sexual libido in some women than in men.

“When some women are not sexually satisfied at home, they stray in search of that satisfaction,” said Dr. Omariba.

Broken families

Jane Kamwaga, a women’s group leader in Murang’a County, said the KNBS report paints a grim picture of broken families in the area.

“In Murang’a, most food crops have been destroyed by monkeys. This forces women to go out and work. When the women are out working, their spouses are, in most cases, drinking alcohol. This makes the women develop some resentment towards their partners. The resultant frustrations lead to women straying, husband-battering or the ditching of marriages altogether,” said Kamwaga.

A female resident of Murang’a County, Mary Njoki who is 34 years old, admitted to having multiple sexual partners who help her meet her financial needs.

“I’m not highly educated. So, chances of landing a well-paying job are extremely slim. I put up a grocery at Saba Saba Market, but it failed to pick up. Left with no other choice, I had to entertain several men in order to foot my bills,” said the mother-of-two.

Another woman in Kenol, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she abandoned tea-picking in 2020 and put up a shop that made her come in contact with different men.

“Some of the men seduced me, and I found it difficult to resist them,” she said, stating that she has sexual intercourse with “several of them”.

“They have really helped me to be financially stable,” added the 42-year-old married woman, who has three children with her husband.

Another woman who also spoke to The Standard on condition of anonymity said her spouse drinks heavily, making him unable to fend for the family.

“I have to entertain a few men to raise money to feed our two children,” she said.

However, Muthui Gitonga, Murang’a County Public Health Officer, refutes the findings of the KNBS report, saying the research was “conducted in only one part of the county”.

Makena Njeri , the Bold Network Africa Founder has changed name.

The former BBC Journalist has changed her name to read Chris Muriithi.

She also identifies with the pronoun ‘They/Them.’

They/Them is a term used by LGBTQ people as a gender neutral pronoun.

It not clear if Makena is honouring someone by changing the name or she actually wants to be referred to as Chris Muriithi.

The media personality came out as a member of the LGBTIQ+ community in May 2021.

Appearing on TedX, Chris disclosed that it had taken years for they to accept and admit the fact to who they are.

“I remember for the first time in my life after very many years, I looked at the mirror and said to myself ‘I am gay, I am unique and this is my truth’,” Chris said.

By Judith Gicobi

After being named the sole woman on the shortlist to succeed former Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss George Kinoti, Esther Chepkosgei Seroney has garnered media attention.

Seroney’s nomination attracted interest in her among Kenyans, and despite having virtually little social media presence, some have started organizing for her to be appointed the first female DCI Director.

Esther is the current Bomet County Police Commander (CPC), according to a post made by the DCI on Monday, October 10. She started out working in the same capacity in Homa Bay County.

Following the consolidation of the numerous police departments, former Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinett selected seven women as county commanders on January 21, 2019.

In 2018, prior to her elevation, she served as the director of the Homa Bay investigative office. In 2017, she also worked as the criminal investigations officer for Busia County.

Unknown to the general public, Seroney has nursing experience. She attended the Ortum School of Nursing from 1983 to 1986.

In 2002, she enrolled in a certificate program in law enforcement at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) training facility in Nairobi.

The DCI applicant graduated from Kenyatta University with a bachelor’s degree in security science and management (2019).

Esther Seroney, an Elgeto Marakwet County native, will compete against nine other candidates who have also been shortlisted, including Amin Ibrahim, Bernard Barasa, Eliud Lagat, Gideon Munga, Esther Seroney, David Birech, Jonyo Wiso, Nicholas Kamwende, and Paul Ndambuki, and Dr. Simon Wanderi.