Two Kenyan Men Signed Agreement to 'marry' the same woman

Two Kenyan men have signed an agreement to "marry" the same woman, reports say.

The unnamed woman, a widow with two children, had been having affairs with both men for more than four years and had refused to choose between them leading to the pair fighting.

The agreement sets out a rota for Sylvester Mwendwa and Elijah Kimani to stay in her Mombasa house and commits them both to raise any children she bears.

“We have agreed that from today we will not threaten or have jealous feelings because of our wife, who says she's not ready to let go of any of us,” the agreement states, according to Kenya's NTV station.

“Each one will respect the day set aside for him. We agree to love each other and live peacefully. No-one has forced us to make this agreement.”

Mr Mwendwa said he had entered into the unusual arrangement to prevent violent between him and his rival for the woman’s affections.

Judy Thongori, a Kenyan family lawyer told Kenya’s Daily Nation that the law does not explicitly forbid polyandry.

“The laws we have do not talk about it but for such a union to be recognised in Kenya, it has to be either under the statutory law or as customary marriage. The question we should ask now is whether these people come from communities that have been practising polyandry,” she said.

The two men and their one wife have run into community opposition with locals describing their marriage as against the Koran.

“We have never heard of something like this in Kenya, it is uncouth, untraditional unbiblical and against the holy books, including the Koran. Why on earth would a woman be shared by two men? They should be taken to court and punished,” said Mr Tumaini Juma, a local resident.