Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyata on 29th April, 2104 gave his assent to a bill thereby making it a law which allowed the Kenyan men to remarry without the consent of their wives. Though polygamy was prevalent earlier as well but this law gave the legal freedom to the men to enter a polygamous relation even if their current wife was opposed to the decision.

The decision of the president created ripples of uncertainty among various sections of society. The women members of the Kenyan parliament had intense debates during the formation of the bill. The original bill gave the wives a ‘veto’ power to deny the men to remarry without their consent.

However the amended bill which turned into an act of law has given a major blow to the decisive aspirations of women in this African country.
The law has been criticized by the western media and seems to put a wrong foot forward in the direction of woman liberties. The question of human rights, of an already bleak system which hinders women’s development economically and socially, arises.

According to media reports some segments of the Christian community are unhappy with the decision of the president. They believe it would affect families in a negative manner. According to the Kenya Population Analysis 2013 report, published by government of Kenya, majority of the population practices Christianity followed by Islam and other religions.

According to reports, Kenya’s Federation of Women Lawyers said they would challenge the law. However it remains to be seen what would be the repercussions of this law in the long run, in a demographically diverse country like Kenya.