MADI LEADERS TURN TO TRADITIONAL CHIEFS TO CURB HIGH BRIDE-PRICE
A sharp wail that pierced the cold morning announced that all is not well in the neighbourhood. Minutes later, news filtered in that Buti, a youth, had died after taking rat poison. In a note found on his bed, he expressed disappointment for his inability
By George Laghu
A sharp wail that pierced the cold morning announced that all is not well in the neighbourhood. Minutes later, news filtered in that Buti, a youth, had died after taking rat poison. In a note found on his bed, he expressed disappointment for his inability to pay bride-price for his love. “May the richest man marry you,†Buti ended his note.
Buti’s death, attributed to grief over failure to pay bride-price, is common among the Madi youths.
The almost mandatory social requirement for marriage goes out of the financial bracket of many youthful boys because parents of girls demand exorbitant fines. The outrageous requirements have also forced many girls to run away from home as their parents refuse them to marry their loved, but poor partners.
The local administrations of Moyo and Adjumani districts have since recognised the rising bride-price as a serious social problem, but have failed to curb it through by-laws because of its cultural nature. However, they seem to have found a solution. And this is the reinstatement of the traditional cultural chiefs (Opi).
For the last two years, the district councils of Adjumani and Moyo have instituted and supported the Madi Elders Forum, a committee of respectable elders mandated with researching, informing and educating people about the social values of the Madi. The forum is also charged with establishing the lineages of the rightful claimants to chieftaincy positions in accordance with the constitutional requirements for traditional rulers.
Twice a week, the forum runs programmes on the local FM, Trans Nile Broadcasting Radio Station, teaching the values of the Madi culture. The elders have come out with amazing findings, attracting the youth as they learn about their clans, chiefs and the institution of marriage.
Philip Amanzuru, a civil servant, says reverting to the wisdom of traditional leaders is the only way they can stop the current social and cultural rot in Madi.
“When the chieftaincies are finally established, their first task should be to streamline bride-price and restore decency in the face of increasing prostitution,†he says.
An elder, Elizeo Taba of Panara village in Adjumani, says the LCs have failed to control the sky-rocketing bride-price and it is high time traditional leaders took over this role.
“In Madi, Kasurube or bride-price was a gift from the boy’s family to that of the girl as a token of appreciation for raising the girl, says Mzee Taba.
Today, bride-price has lost its social and cultural value. Such things as the educational level of the girl are considered when negotiating bride-price. A high school leaver is more expensive than a primary school leaver and a graduate is certainly very expensive.
Yosefo Mangwi, a member of the elders forum, says: “The Madi had a centralised government rotating around the Opi or chiefs who were central figures, with judicial, executive and legislative powers.â€
A leading musical group, the Madi Pawa Stars, recently released a popular number Tumi-akosi, which blames lack of respect for culture for the continued social and cultural degradation. The song calls for a return to cultural sanity by evoking the spirits of great Madi chiefs.
In Adjumani, a new prerequisite is that of Unifomu nzi, which is a fine for stopping the girl’s formal education to marry her off.
Another fine which goes for up to sh300,000 is the Losira-li a fine for taking away the mat on which the elders sat. Another fine, losirta-la, for laying the mat runs up to sh50,000.
All these go aside of the traditional requirements of kasurube of about sh500,000 and seven cows.
There is also a practice called Alli in which youthful girls who accompany the wife-to-be make colossal demands on the boy and his friends apart from the mandatory andralico.
“My boyfriend is hesitant to talk about marriage because of his poor family background despite my assurance that my father is not likely to make outrageous demands,†says Jennifer Eimani of Moyo.
Retired teacher Caroline Edea says the problem of high bride-price is real and can only be solved by traditional leaders. “Intervention by political leaders and law enforcement agencies will only exacerbate the matter and commercialise marriage,†said Edea.
“Since the chief is the social and cultural symbol of his community, he is the right person to talk about cultural issues,†she says.
A sharp wail that pierced the cold morning announced that all is not well in the neighbourhood. Minutes later, news filtered in that Buti, a youth, had died after taking rat poison. In a note found on his bed, he expressed disappointment for his inability to pay bride-price for his love. “May the richest man marry you,†Buti ended his note.
Buti’s death, attributed to grief over failure to pay bride-price, is common among the Madi youths.
The almost mandatory social requirement for marriage goes out of the financial bracket of many youthful boys because parents of girls demand exorbitant fines. The outrageous requirements have also forced many girls to run away from home as their parents refuse them to marry their loved, but poor partners.
The local administrations of Moyo and Adjumani districts have since recognised the rising bride-price as a serious social problem, but have failed to curb it through by-laws because of its cultural nature. However, they seem to have found a solution. And this is the reinstatement of the traditional cultural chiefs (Opi).
For the last two years, the district councils of Adjumani and Moyo have instituted and supported the Madi Elders Forum, a committee of respectable elders mandated with researching, informing and educating people about the social values of the Madi. The forum is also charged with establishing the lineages of the rightful claimants to chieftaincy positions in accordance with the constitutional requirements for traditional rulers.
Twice a week, the forum runs programmes on the local FM, Trans Nile Broadcasting Radio Station, teaching the values of the Madi culture. The elders have come out with amazing findings, attracting the youth as they learn about their clans, chiefs and the institution of marriage.
Philip Amanzuru, a civil servant, says reverting to the wisdom of traditional leaders is the only way they can stop the current social and cultural rot in Madi.
“When the chieftaincies are finally established, their first task should be to streamline bride-price and restore decency in the face of increasing prostitution,†he says.
An elder, Elizeo Taba of Panara village in Adjumani, says the LCs have failed to control the sky-rocketing bride-price and it is high time traditional leaders took over this role.
“In Madi, Kasurube or bride-price was a gift from the boy’s family to that of the girl as a token of appreciation for raising the girl, says Mzee Taba.
Today, bride-price has lost its social and cultural value. Such things as the educational level of the girl are considered when negotiating bride-price. A high school leaver is more expensive than a primary school leaver and a graduate is certainly very expensive.
Yosefo Mangwi, a member of the elders forum, says: “The Madi had a centralised government rotating around the Opi or chiefs who were central figures, with judicial, executive and legislative powers.â€
A leading musical group, the Madi Pawa Stars, recently released a popular number Tumi-akosi, which blames lack of respect for culture for the continued social and cultural degradation. The song calls for a return to cultural sanity by evoking the spirits of great Madi chiefs.
In Adjumani, a new prerequisite is that of Unifomu nzi, which is a fine for stopping the girl’s formal education to marry her off.
Another fine which goes for up to sh300,000 is the Losira-li a fine for taking away the mat on which the elders sat. Another fine, losirta-la, for laying the mat runs up to sh50,000.
All these go aside of the traditional requirements of kasurube of about sh500,000 and seven cows.
There is also a practice called Alli in which youthful girls who accompany the wife-to-be make colossal demands on the boy and his friends apart from the mandatory andralico.
“My boyfriend is hesitant to talk about marriage because of his poor family background despite my assurance that my father is not likely to make outrageous demands,†says Jennifer Eimani of Moyo.
Retired teacher Caroline Edea says the problem of high bride-price is real and can only be solved by traditional leaders. “Intervention by political leaders and law enforcement agencies will only exacerbate the matter and commercialise marriage,†said Edea.
“Since the chief is the social and cultural symbol of his community, he is the right person to talk about cultural issues,†she says.