Meru's polygamy empire: Meet men with 32 Wives, 11 Wives, unbroken lineage of legends

In the rugged hills of Meru County, where tradition still holds firm even as modernity creeps in, few figures embody the old ways quite like Robert Kathata. A renowned herbalist, prosperous miraa farmer and  businessman, Kathata has built both his livelihood and his legacy on customs passed down through generations. Yet nothing defines him more boldly, or more controversially, than his unapologetic embrace of polygamy, a practice he defends as not merely cultural, but essential to his identity.

Kathata’s life mirrors that of his late father, Ayub Kathata, a formidable figure who married 50 wives. Following that lineage, Robert married his first wife at 18. Today, approaching 50, he has taken 32 wives, placing him among Meru’s most prominent modern-day polygamists.

“I married my 32nd wife in November this year,” he told The Nairobian with characteristic frankness. “In Meru tradition, we do not count children in public, but I have more than 50.”

Managing such a vast household, he admits, requires discipline, hard work and considerable financial muscle. But he insists he has met every responsibility expected of him.

“I am a polygamist, and in addition to being a herbalist, I farm and run other businesses. I have clients in Meru and across the country,” he said.

While you were away

Kathata has built a sprawling homestead for his wives. Many of them run businesses he helped them establish, creating additional income streams for the family.

“I earn well from traditional medicine, miraa and business. I can comfortably meet the needs of my family,” he said.

“Most of my wives are in business or farming. When they prosper, I reward them for the effort.”

He jokes, though partly in earnest, that stiff competition among his wives fuels their industriousness, hence they have been successful in building financially stable homes..

“None of them sleeps, because it is very competitive,” he boasted.

 Another well-known polygamist in Meru is Japheth Muroko, who maintains a network of 11 wives drawn from across Kenya and beyond.

He is famous for coining the phrase “Baba, while you were away” in 2014 to highlight issues with the Jubilee government after the late Raila Odinga’s return from the US.

Recently, in October 2025, Muroko gained significant media attention after losing his wife Karambu Muroko, the “chairlady of all his wives,” on the same day Raila Odinga died.

Videos of his other wives introducing themselves at the funeral went viral, highlighting their unique family dynamic.

“I have 11 wives from different communities and countries. The one we buried on November 7 is a Meru and she was the chairlady of all my wives. She was deputised by Dr Donata Muroko from Homa Bay,” Muroko told The Nairobian.

Muroko’s other spouses hail from Kisii, Maasai, Kalenjin, Taita , Kamba, a Somali based in Sweden, and a Malaysian based in Kuala Lumpur. He is also married to a Ugandan based in Kampala where she practices law. 

“She is a lawyer. All my wives are in different professions,” he said.

Muroko divulged that since he does not subscribe to any particular religion, his marriages were conducted in the traditional way. 

“I do not belong to any foreign religion: not Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or pagan,” he said. “I am a traditional believer and a Pan-Africanist. But my wives follow different religions; some are Christians, some Muslims.”

Just like Kathata and other polygamists, Muroko does not reveal exactly how many children he has.

“Children are never counted, but they are nearly 40. My first born is 28. I am almost 50 years. My wives and I are working and I am capable to cater for my family,” he said. 

Muroko, who plans to vie for Lang’ata parliamentary seat on an ODM ticket in 2027, said he is committed, responsible and focused.

He said owing to the fact that he is mostly in Nairobi, he has homes in different towns.

On whether he plans to marry gain, Muroko said there was “no limitation.”

He said he would consider marrying another wife but the onus would be on Dr Donata, who has taken the reins as the chairlady of his wives, to suggest it.

Lineage

“The former chairlady who was helping me to recruit has passed on, but the one who has taken over, Dr Donata Muroko will have the duty of recruiting, because she was also recruited, just like the others.”

Muroko revealed that Dr Donata is from the lineage of Ancentus Akuku, popularly known as “Akuku Danger”, Kenya’s most famous polygamist who is reported to have had more than 100 wives.

“Akuku Danger was her grandfather, so automatically he is my grand-father.”

Muroko himself comes from a polygamous lineage, as his late grandfather Field Marshal Musa Mwariama, who was second in command of the Mau Mau freedom war when Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi commanded the fighters, was a polygamist too.

James ‘Gachaura’ M’Itonga, who styles himself as chairman of the Meru polygamists association, has three wives and over 10 children.

Gachaura, who was councilor of Mitunguu Ward in South Imenti for 15 years, married his first wife in 1977, the second in 1982 and the third in 1997.