This archive report was first published on 25 September 2021.
On September 25, 2021, a landmark judgement by a Kenyan High Court judge sparked heated debate in the country. Judge Teresia Matheka ruled that being a housewife should be considered a full-time job, arguing that housewives offer full-time services at home and should not regard themselves as jobless.
The ruling was made in a case where a divorced lady sought to have their family property sold and the money shared equally between her and her ex-husband. Judge Matheka ruled that the property be sold and money shared equally, or one of the spouses buy out the other party by paying half the value of the property that the party is entitled to.
Justice Matheka argued that housewives offer full-time services at home, including raising children and managing the household, which is equivalent to working. She further said it was unfair to use visible income and the mindset that one has to dig deep into their pockets in marriage to evaluate their financial value.
"Raising children is a full-time job that families pay a person to do as well as cooking and cleaning," she said. "Hence, for a woman in employment who has to balance childbearing and rearing this contribution must be considered."
The ruling has sparked mixed reactions from Kenyans, with some calling for husbands of jobless stay-at-home wives to be compelled to pay their spouses a salary for taking care of children and the home. However, others have raised concerns about how the ruling would be implemented in practice, including determining how much a housewife should be paid and whether the rule would apply in cases where the wife is working while the husband stays at home.
