A pastor’s wife in Hurara village, Tana River County, has left her in-laws in shock after she returned to them her bride price as she left her abusive husband.
The woman returned to her in-laws Sh47,000 that was her bride price 24 years ago.
According to the woman, her marriage to the pastor was only rosy for two years, then it became violent and unpleasant.
“My children can bear me witness that we would be beaten without any wrongdoing. Sometimes he would just chase us out of the house to sleep in our small kitchen,” said the mother of three.
The woman narrated that the husband would sometimes assault her over a small disagreement, and without any provocation.
She complained about the abuse to her in-laws, who many times supported their son, reminding her that she was “bought” through the bride price and had to endure the challenges in the marriage.
“I told my mother-in-law about the abuse, and she kept telling me the man was entitled to do what he likes, adding that I should keep praying for him to change,” she said.
The husband would sometimes give sermons in the church where he is a pastor, with their marriage wrangles as the topic, embarrassing her and the children, a matter she endured for years.
Any attempt to raise the matter with the husband was countered with assaults and insults.
“My children wished we could leave this home and go back to my home where they are treated like children and are loved,” she said.
Last year, she made up her mind to leave and started raising the dowry refund money in February. Her target was to leave by December, but she didn’t. Her husband stumbled onto some of her savings, and took the money away, cutting short her plans to leave.
On Tuesday, however, when the man had left for work, she took her last-born daughter and headed to her in-laws to give back what their son had paid for her.
“I called some of the elders who used to mediate in our wrangles. They thought it was business as usual until I placed the money on the table and told them I was leaving and would not want my mother to be bothered because the debt was paid in full,” she said.
The husband could not be reached for comment. However, his sister applauded her sister-in-law’s move, terming it proper and timely.
“I know my brother and he has taken after my father. He will never change. His wife was good. He will never find another like her, let him continue preaching water as he drinks wine,” she said.
Mr Samuel Kalama, an elder in the village, noted that the two have had long-standing issues in their marriage that have been difficult to resolve.
He said the elders have since reached out to the woman’s family to iron things out, however, they will have none of it.
The husband, on the other hand, has not been seen in the village since the bride price was returned to his family.
