Kenyan man, David Zakayo Kalukhana, a resident of Teresia Village located at the periphery of Kakamega County, has 107 offspring from his eight wives and seven concubines.
The 63-year-old, who hails from a village situated on the vast Nandi escarpment in Kakamega North sub-county, entered into his first marriage in 1987 but later decided to take on more partners. “A head like mine cannot be managed by one woman. It is like a big sack of maize which has to be divided into smaller parts for ease of movement. I need many wives so that they can manage the amount of brains and ideas in my head. I am too smart for one wife,” Mr Kalukhana told the Sunday Nation. Mr Zakayo’s Financial Status: Provision for Family
Although he has 107 children from his multiple wives and concubines, David Zakayo Kalukhana does not consider himself wealthy based on local standards. He mentioned owning only a half-acre plot of land where he grows maize to feed his family and sugarcane. To provide for his large family, he undertakes menial jobs, such as landscaping activities. His compound comprises three semi-permanent houses that have mud walls and iron sheet roofs. Despite the challenges he faces in providing for his extensive family, Mr Kalukhana remains resolute and compares himself to the biblical King Solomon, who had 700 wives and 300 concubines. “I have wives in different places, including in the neighbouring Nandi County. When I’m not farming, I go out to do menial work, including constructing stone fences around people’s homes. The work is well-paying and it has helped me make some money to keep my family going. They will never sleep hungry as long as I’m alive,” said Mr Kalukhana. Motive for Marrying Multiple Wives “When I married my first wife Jesca Asembo in 1987, I felt like she was not up to the task. I have added more but I still have the urge to add more. All my children of school going age attend school. I toil daily to raise money to ensure they are in school to get an education for their future. I don’t believe in religion. I live my life through my own intervention because I am a genius,” he said. Jealousy Amongst Wives The wives of David Zakayo Kalukhana, who belong to various age groups, work and dine together, sharing their meals. They also collaborate on household tasks and treat their husband with great reverence. In photographs, they are seen laughing and teasing each other while feeding each other joyfully.
According to one of his wives, Ms Asembo, she has never experienced any jealousy towards the other wives. “I love my husband and that is all that matters. Even if he brings in additional wives, I will not be bothered because I understand him. He is a responsible man and whatever he does is always right because he takes his time to decide on what to do,” said Ms Asembo. Dorine Kalukhana, Mr Kalukhana’s seventh wife, admitted to feeling envious when she first got married but eventually grew accustomed to the situation. “Today, there is no jealousy. We all live in harmony and no woman feels jealous of the other. Our man treats us equally,” she said.
