The Socio-Cultural Changes in the Kenyan Luo Society Since the British Invasion and the Effects on the Levirate Custom: A Critical Survey

Abstract

“Wife Inheritance” is a custom that was evident in many Traditional African Communities. However, the custom, which entails a widow being taken over by one of her husband’s brothers or kinsmen upon his death, is today more widespread among the Luo of Kenya. The custom had many important functions and has been sustained mainly by the values attached to it by the Luo people. However, with the changed context, coupled with the wake of democratic values, the upsurge of HIV/AIDS and other existential challenges, the custom has become a controversial issue today. Arguably, it undermines the widows’ freedom and consequently downplays the campaigns for women’s liberation and gender equity. It is also said to spur the spread of HIV/AIDS scourge, and hence its relevance today is questionable. The aim of this paper is to present an historical account of how the levirate custom has undergone many changes since the advent of the colonial period in Kenya. The study was a qualitative type of research and was both library and field based. It employed the Critical-Analytical, Phenomenological and the Speculative Philosophical methods, thus the Holistic approach. It also used the Socratic and Historical method to trace the historical development of the custom. Questionnaires and tape-recording were some of the tools used in data collection. Tables, graphs and charts were used in data analysis and presentation. A lot of research has been done on the Luo custom; however, the study provides a new approach in addressing the problems posed by the practice. The study takes a moderate stand and advocates for both continuity and discontinuity in the custom. While the oppressive and repugnant elements should be discarded, its values should be preserved and perpetuated. The findings provide insight into how the custom can be made responsive to the changing circumstances of life and the existential needs of the widow.

Keywords: Socio-Cultural Changes, Kenyan Luo Society, British Invasion, Effects, Levirate Custom