Mr @NCLINTON09
Yes, bride price is part of our culture, and I agree with preserving culture. But we must distinguish between cultural appreciation and commercialization.
Our ancestors gave cows as a sign of gratitude and respect to the bride's family, not as a price tag on a woman. Even then, the number of cows depended on what the man could genuinely afford. Some families accepted three cows, others a few more. It wasn't about getting rich it was about acknowledging the family that raised the bride.
Unfortunately, our generation has changed that meaning. Today, many people treat educating a girl child as an investment that must be recovered through dowry. The amount demanded is often based on how much was "spent" raising or educating her. That shifts dowry from appreciation to business.
Even our language reflects this change. In Runyankole, people now say "Nkakujuga ente zanje" ("I bought you with my cows), and some women even ask, "Okanjuga zingahi?" (How many cows did you buy me for?"). Those expressions reveal that we have gradually moved from a culture of appreciation to one that makes women seem like commodities.
So yes, I support giving bride price but as a symbol of appreciation, not as a commercial transaction.
My other concern is this: How does reducing or making bride price reasonable create lazy Gen Z men? Hard work isn't measured by how many cows or millions someone can produce. Some people inherited businesses, family wealth, or got jobs through connections. Others wake up every day, start from nothing, build their lives with no connections, and struggle honestly to make a living. Which of those men is truly hardworking?
A man's character, responsibility, discipline, and willingness to provide for his family should define his readiness for marriage not the size of the bride price he can afford. High commercialized dowry doesn't show how hardworking man you are!
~Sir Kulture~
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