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Polygamy no fun, Ethiopian polygamist warns

An Ethiopian man with 11 wives and 77 children is urging people not to follow his example and is giving advice on family planning and contraception.
After seeing his fortune disappear under the competing demands of his enormous family, Ayattu Nure, 56, even urges people not to get married.
"I want my children to be farmers but I have no land, I want them to go to school but I have no money," he says.
But his eldest son has not heeded Mr Ayattu's advice and he has three wives

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Seven of Mr Ayattu's wives live in huts around his compound, which are in urgent need of renovation.
Another four live in huts on the other side of the valley in Giwe Abossa village, 300km from the capital, Addis Ababa in Arsi region.
He says he cannot remember all his children's names but tries to work out who they are from their mothers and which huts they live in.
Mr Ayattu says he used to be rich and wanted to share his wealth around, which is why he took so many wives.
But now he struggles to feed them all.
"I feel like killing myself when I see my hungry children whom I cannot help," Mr Ayattu says.
His wives have given birth to more than 100 children but 23
have died.
School photos
However, he blames Ethiopia's government for not doing more to help him look after all his children.
"I know I have done wrong by marrying many wives and begetting many children but I think I deserve help from the government."
But his biggest complaint at the moment is with the authorities of the local school which 40 of his children now attend.
They want photographs for each of his children's files, which will further deplete his meagre resources.
He says that he tries to share his time evenly between his wives and children, adding that although quarrels and squabbles are common, they try to solve their problems amicably.
"People see me as a funny man, but there is no fun in my condition. I am a desperate man struggling to survive," he says.
Although Mr Ayattu's eldest son, Dagne Ayattu, does not have a job, at the age of 33, he has seven children and is about to marry his fourth wife.
But he says he will not have as many children or wives as his father.

By Mohammed Adow
BBC, Ethiopia
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Polygamy Hall of Fame, by Vincent Duhem

Famed internationally for his practice of extreme polygamy, 94 year old Acentus Akuku, aka “Danger”, kicked the bucket on October 3 in Kenya after having been married 130 times and fathering nearly 300 children.

In a country where life expectancy does not exceed 54 years, Acentus Akuku’s life story is one that is almost surreal. Famous for getting married 130 times and fathering nearly 300 children, the absolute ladies man died Sunday at age 94.
His nickname “Danger” was coined because according to him “I overshadowed many men when it came to women.” He was a danger to those men who were not smart enough to get married before he came to town.
Akutu “Danger” was from the Ndhiwa District, 370 km west of Nairobi, not far from LakeVitoria. Polygamy is widespread among the Luo tribe who live in this region of Kenya.
Polygamy has a special status in the predominantly Christian country. Banned by the constitution, polygamy is only tolerated by the country’s customary laws.
Ego
Having 130 wives is undeniable an ego booster. I was very handsome. “I dressed well and I knew how to charm women with sweet talk. No woman could decline my advances. I was a magnet” he once said.
But his over-sized ego did not prevent him from looking over his shoulder to make sure other men were not getting too close to his bevy of ladies. “I had spies attached to each home. They briefed me on how each woman went about her business in my absence,” he admitted.
The man is known to have divorced 85 of his wives for being unfaithful. And according to him “With the threat of HIV and Aids, I had to be strict with the conduct of each woman.” He said the 85 women “posed a serious risk” to his life.
Business
But apart from taking advantage of the situation what else could he do with 300 children? “Danger” ran his family as a business enterprise. Dowries paid for by his daughters’ would be husbands was a serious affair.
With his family, came great power. Over time he built a small business empire; a taxi company run by his sons. And most small businesses in his community, eventually, came to be held by his offspring.
Africa’s most celebrated polygamist did not wait for an epitaph on his grave to make history. A true legend, he was listened to, consulted and respected. Famous and celebrated, his reputation went beyond the shores of his native Kenya.
Indeed, Acentus Akuku whose polygamous “odyssey” began with his first marriage in 1939 and ended with his last marriage to 18 year old Josephine in 1997 at the youthful age of 81, would be remembered.
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