In Kenya, weekends have always been for weddings and parties. And this time, it was Deputy President William Ruto’s daughter, getting off the market.
Guests from Nigeria visited Ruto’s Karen home to ask for June’s hand in marriage. This is after the DP’s daughter caught the eye of Alexander Ezenagu, a law professor at
The occasion, natively known as ‘Koito’ was done according to the traditions of the Nandi Community.
Marriage, as a rite of passage among the Nandi people has stages and procedures to be followed before the parties involved are declared husband and wife.
In June’s scenario, the process has just kicked off with the kin of Alexander Ezenagu visiting her home on Saturday.
Culturally, this team comprises of the father, aunts and other clansmen of the bridegroom.
They visited Ruto’s Karen residence to formally ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage and kick-start the dowry negotiations.
The groom (Alexander Ezenagu) and bride (June Ruto) are not allowed to be anywhere near the negotiation table.
June Ruto’s family will then table their demands, where the dowry is quoted in the form of goats and sheep.
Once the dowry is paid, the bride and the groom will be advised on how to live together and raise a family. At this point they will be gifted with goods, not limited to household items.
After this, a traditional marriage ceremony called ‘Ratet’ will be conducted just after dark in the house of the bridegroom’s mother.
This is when June Ruto and Alexander Ezenagu will be declared husband and wife.
However, before the event that was held at Ruto’s home on Saturday, the culture dictates that the groom should make a prior visit to the bride’s home accompanied by his friends.
“The suitor will then dress in a specially fine cloth, usually monkey skins, and carrying a special walking stick, goes with a friend to the house of his father-in-law to the ceremony called ‘kejut Njor’,” it says.
In some clans, there is a hidden door in the wall called (Kurg’rap san-the door of the relations by marriage) opened on this occasion, by which the prospective son-in-law enters.
