PhD thesis Title Page Final _Richard Juma - Victoria University ...

Figure 13: Married Turkana women. 92
Source: Fieldwork 2007.
Polygamy: This is a very common practice among the Turkana community.
During the fieldwork, I noted a different meaning for the term ‘co-wives’
from what I expected. The following story explains how Turkana people
sometimes conceptualise the word co-wife in a different way. During my
visit to a family of three co-wives, the eldest wife told me that the husband
of X [her co-wife] had arrived. I commented “he is your husband also!” She
replied “no he is my husband’s younger brother”. I then asked, “But why
you do you call her co-wife?” “Yes she is, but she is not the wife of my
husband”. I asked again, “But why do you call her co-wife?” She answered,
“Because, the wealth [the cattle] is one [shared]”. I therefore learnt that in
Turkana society, the term co-wife can sometimes be used to denote the
wives of brothers if they pool their wealth and share the same kitchen.
92 Note the Ostrich egg beading on the pinafores, and the quantity of beads worn. These
are meant only for married Turkana women. These are old women who have earned the
highest respect label of akimat.
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