Marriage System and The Gikuyu System of Government Summary and Analysis

In "Marriage System", Kenyatta explains that families are important to extend the life of the clan. The marriage document binds the individuals and their kin. Men and women are allowed to choose their own mates. In the first stage, a boy and his friends visit the home of a girl he fancies. The girl either accepts, or asks them to come back another day. This is repeated until the girl either accepts or rejects the boy. If accepted, the boy tells his parents, who visit the parents of the bride to be. The boys' parents begin to collect sheep and goats for the dowry. Once all animals are paid, a feast is held to announce the engagement. In the fourth stage, a day is set to sign...