Our World: One Man, Three Wives.

BBC World News’ Yalda Hakim has filmed a new documentary One Man, Three Wives for Our World looking at the impact of new laws legalising polygamous marriages in Kenya.

As a new law giving legal recognition for second, third or even fourth wives, in polygamous marriages comes into force in Kenya, Yalda Hakim travels around the country to investigate what life is like for polygamous men and their wives, and asks what impact this new law will have.

In the Rift Valley, Yalda meets Isaya Ntokot a 76 year old Maasai man living with his three wives in what seems like a harmonious set up. Each woman has her own house in the compound, which she shares with her children. Isaya has his own house and his wives cook for him in their own kitchens and bring the food to him in his house. The women say they are not jealous and that it works well.

Alice Ntokot, the eldest wife says: “I advise them on what to do. Because we’re friends it’s easy. It would be harder if we didn’t get on so well. If I disagree with them over something I just try and stay calm’.

But, Yalda finds polygamous marriages are not always so harmonious. In the heart of Nairobi, in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum, Yalda meets Maurice Adongo. He married second wife Bridget 11 years into his marriage to Veronica.

The two women live in separate houses, ten minutes’ walk apart. Maurice thinks his polygamous marriage is working fine. He first wife Veronica disagrees.

She says: “I feel like I have been dumped. Some things a couple should sit down and talk about , but when your partner thinks bringing another women into the relationship is the answer, and you disagree , it’s not going to work. He might think it’s okay, but I think it’s a bad idea”.

One of the hardest things for Veronica was that she did not find out about Maurice’s second wife from him. She found out from neighbours.

Veronica says: “A man will never tell you he’s going to take another wife. They just spring it on you when they bring the new wife home like he did.”

However, the new marriage law could have forced Maurice to tell Veronica. A clause was originally included in the new bill requiring men to inform their existing wife or wives of their plan to bring in another wife. But the male MPs in the Kenyan parliament voted it out, prompting a walkout by female MPs.

Back in the Maasi Yalda meets Rael Kulkury, who at 15 was married off to a much older man who already had a wife. Though she had 10 children with him, he wanted more and soon married a third wife.

When her husband died, despite having so many children, because she had had a customary marriage, which wasn’t registered with the authorities, Rael had no legal proof she was his wife and so had few legal rights when it came to his estate.

The new law requires everyone getting married to be over 18 and also requires all marriages to be registered, which means each wife will always be able to prove she is married in case of a dispute or problems later on. Under the new Law, Rael would have had more protection.

However, some argue that although this controversial law offers some legal protection to women in polygamous marriages, it also endorses a man’s right to deceive his wife or wives. Women’s groups and campaigners plan to try and educate women and encourage them to get married in church or in civil weddings, which do not allow polygamy.

In the meantime Kenyan men who opt for a traditional marriage can continue to bring in new wives whenever they like, so long as they register the marriage, but with no obligation to inform existing wives.

Saturday June 14 at 9.30am, 3.30pm and 9.30pm on BBC World News