This archive report was first published on 3 October 2019.
John De Mathew, a renowned musician, left behind two wives, Sarafina Wairimu and Caroline Waithira, after his untimely death in August 2019 in a road accident near Blue Post Hotel, Thika.
Speaking to Switch TV, the two wives revealed how they came to terms with their polygamous marriage, with Sarafina explaining that she had been preparing herself for the possibility of a second wife for seven years.
‘I couldn’t imagine that there could be someone else who will follow me but after 7 years I saw it from afar and I started preparing myself. In Kikuyu if you are married to a polygamous family there is a probability you will find yourself in the same situation,’ Sarafina said.
Caroline, De Mathew’s second wife, revealed that she had known she would marry a polygamous man, citing her grandfather’s polygamous lifestyle as an example.
‘As a second wife, you need to be God fearing. We met in 2013 during my birthday and he gave me a date adding that he wanted a second wife,’ Caroline said.
The two wives also revealed that their children had known each other before they met, with De Mathew often picking up Sarafina’s daughter and Caroline’s son from their respective homes.
Sarafina expressed her fear that De Mathew would bring a co-wife who would not respect her, but ultimately accepted the situation due to her love for her husband.
