Tana woman takes off with daughter's dowry leaving elders baffled

A woman in Garsen, Tana River county, left elders and her in-laws in confusion, after she 'disappeared' with Sh170,000 paid as dowry for her daughter.

Anne Maweni had sought the help of her in-laws, in handing over the girl to her suitor for marriage, as tradition demands.

According to her sister Veronica Meilu who had accompanied them to the ceremony, Ms Maweni decided to disappear with the money,  fearing her kinsmen would short-change her.

"During the ceremony, she is the one who served the guests and elders food, but did not join them on the table. Nobody knew what time she left ," said Ms Meilu.

Efforts to reach her on phone were fruitless as the gadget was switched off.

Shortly after, she texted her sister with another number asking her to finish the remaining bit of the ceremony, which involved giving a vote of thanks, as all other rights had been observed.

It was then that it emerged something was amiss.

The elders on realizing the money, which all along was at their feet was missing retreated to 'consult'.

They decided not to raise alarm in the presence of the guests, but instead finished the ceremony, allowing the guests to leave, so that they could resolve the matter as family.

"I was not aware of my sister's plans, but here I was being put to  task, to explain how we stole the dowry and where my sister was," said Meilu.

After efforts to convince the elders failed, the men proposed to take legal action by reporting the matter to the police.

It was then that Ms Maweni called.

"She asked me to put the phone on loudspeaker before revealing that the dowry 'theft' was a plan she had weaved with the son-in-law before the ceremony," Ms Meilu said.

She said that what had been handed over to elders after the counting was not a bag containing money, but one that had wrappers.

"Yes, we counted the money together but we exchanged the bag containing money with that holding wrappers, because the elders are not deserving of any gains from my daughter," she said on phone.

It emerged that the money meant for the dowry did not leave the venue with Maweni, but the son-in-law.

Ms Maweni's narrated her bitter past with the kinsmen, dating from when her husband died, leaving her with two children, a five-year old girl and two-year old boy.

"After the demise of my husband, you sent me away with nothing but my daughter.  You took my son away, and he later died in your hands. Then, you said that the community had no use for a girl child," she told the elders on phone.

She also narrated leaving the village with nothing as the husband's property had been shared between the family members.

After being pushed out of her matrimonial home, Ms Maweni settled in Mwingi town, where she managed to start a business, whose proceeds she used to raise her daughter.

"I have left you with female wrappers to wear since you did not stand for a widow, at her time of need," she said.

However, she promised to send only one elder part of the dowry money, for his support during her tribulations and also standing in for her daughter's marriage ceremony.

"Mzee Bajila, you are like a father to me, and witnessed the atrocities against me. You fought for me in vain. So only you, deserve a portion of this money," she said and hanged up.

Regretting the haunting moment of mistakes made 19 years ago, the elders asked Meilu to invite her sister for talks, in a bid to resolve the past issues.