The Culture Of Fines And Luhya Myths On Infidelity

In part nine of this series on how to get away with eating rats- chimbeba, we opined that cheating wasn’t a cheap life style choice. In the same way, this installment of the twelve part series further cements this truth by way of describing in some detail, the ways of our forefathers. This captivating take on khurunga silukhi, paying silukhi, will provide a rare look in to both mulembe’s culture of fines and Luhya myths on infidelity.

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Do you remember the story of Makunja and Wafukho? The one where Makunja found Wafukho having sex with his wife in his matrimonial bed? Yes. That one about khuuna kumusakhu. Today I want to tell you about more consequences of infidelity in Luhya culture. When a man finds another with his wife. Thankfully, there are various ways of punishing the philanderer apart from death. The ‘owner’ of the wife can impose a fine also referred to as silukhi in lubukusu on the adulterous man.

What Is Silukhi?

Silukhi is a fine traditionally imposed on an adulterous man found in another man’s matrimonial bed, usually by the husband. Ideally, it is a fine imposed when a husband gets red handed his wife in an adulterous action in the matrimonial bed. First things first, before silukhi is paid, the following conditions must have been met.

The husband to the philandering woman must have paid dowry. Do you recall part two of this series, when we detailed what a complete marriage was? Well, the same rigorous conditions — such as the permanency threshold of khuboa chinyinja — that make a marriage ‘complete’ apply here.

Kumwikule Kukwoo, Kumwikale Kwabene

Therefore, in this vein, silukhi is not paid for widowed women, unmarried young women and single mothers. Actually, Luhya culture allows men to have sexual relations with any unmarried women whose doors are deemed to be open. Married women are perceived to have closed doors thus the bukusu saying kumwikule kukwoo, kumwikale kwabene. This is translated as: the open door is yours, the closed doors belong to the owner.

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How Silukhi Roots The Culture of Fines And Luhya Myths On Infidelity

Silukhi was a heavy fine those days. The adulterous man was expected to pay a cow and a ram! The ram was slaughtered to cleanse the man’s matrimonial bed and his children. This was done so that the children wouldn’t get befallen by bad omen from the shifwabi of their mother. (Going by this, it can safely be argued that silukhi is some form of kamanyasi.)

The cow is given to the husband as compensation of part of the dowry he had paid to his In-laws. Notwithstanding, the funny bit is that the cow cannot be reared in the family. This is because it’s an abomination for the children to take its milk or eat its meat.

(For context, read part eight of the series on meats and luyha myths on infidelity. Also, don’t miss to read part ten on luhya myths on infidelity where children are involved.)

The cow paid a silukhi is instead sold off immediately by the husband of the philandering woman. What does the husband do then with the proceeds from the sale? The Swahili say: Pesa in sabuni ya roho. That money washes away the aches of the heart. Simply put, it is his for his enjoyment.

Other Bits On Cultural Fines In Mulembe Culture

The Luhya culture both patriarchal and patrilineal. Therefore on matters such as silukhi, it allows a man to demand if he finds his wife committing adultery, not vice versa. In fact if a woman found a husband committing adultery, the adulterous woman was introduced to the legitimate wife as a co-wife or wangoye. In other scenarios, that demanded fines, it was either the woman’s husband to pay, or her father depending on the social crime.

For example, fines were administered to night runners and other witches caught in the act. Even though those caught were required to pay similar fines under similar rules, here the fine would be demanded from her husband.

In other misdemeanors such as a woman eating the wrong part of chicken – particularly the emondo – she would be sent to her people. Her mission there would be to be reeducated on our ways and collect a fine (a chicken) that would be paid by her father.

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