Why Kenyans in the diaspora are forced to have fake marriages that don't last long
While most Kenyans dream of relocating and having a better life in the US, a new documentary based on Kenyans in the country shows that things sometimes don't go as planned.The documentary, which was written and produced by Kaba Mbugua with assists from Jabal Africa and thespian Ndungi Githuku, has Kenyans opening up on their tough experiences while abroad.Just like most immigrants in the country, Kenyans are also struggling to make ends meet, some who went there after leaving better paying jobs for greener pastures have been reduced to beggars.Others have been locked in the country and are unable to return back home.“We used to eat from trash cans because we had no food and the restaurant where we worked would not let us touch the “expired” food,” Says Alice Raine referring to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) laws which are strictly observed by eateries in the US.Raine, like most immigrants, blindly headed to the US and in turn faced the worst period in her life.“Our first year was terrible. We had come on a one way ticket and so we couldn’t go back."James Njoroge found himself in the wrong company and got deported in the process.“I was a criminal…I was arrested for illegal possession of a gun and cocaine” said Njoroge.“I smoked Marijuana and had many minor violations."But what's even more surprising is how Kenyans are now opting to have fake marriages just to make an extra coin.According to Mbijiwe Mwenda who is a counselor with Family Development Institute, Kenyans are marrying for papers and divorce as soon as the marriage get's old enough. They then move to another client soon after.“They pocket about three thousand dollars (Sh 320,000) every two to three years for marriages that have nothing to do with bedroom affairs,” he says.According to Joseck Asikoye of Jabali Africa, it's the reason why domestic violence among Kenyans abroad is so high.“Pent up anger among Kenyan men in the US is one of the reasons some are killing themselves. He says they find it difficult to “bring out the Kenyan men in them” due to the repercussions of such acts. You can’t physically discipline your wife here,” he says.The almost 40-minute long documentary was released on Saturday in Raleigh, North Carolina and aims to inform Kenyans back at home not to blindly leave the country when in search of greener pastures.Watch the full documentary below: