In a searing indictment of society’s treatment of its most vulnerable, widows in Siaya and across western Kenya have issued a desperate plea: stop demanding sex in exchange for fish, and stop stealing our inheritance in the name of culture.

The appeal, articulated through the Rona Foundation’s "Widows Charter," shines a spotlight on the dark underbelly of the Nyanza economy—the practice of "Jaboya," where widows are forced to offer sexual favors to fishermen just to secure stock for their market stalls. It is a form of economic coercion that amounts to sexual slavery, yet it persists in the open, sanctioned by silence and tradition. "Support us without sexual exploitation," they cried out, a simple demand for dignity that reveals the depth of their degradation.

The Double Tragedy of Widowhood

Losing a husband in Kenya often means losing everything. The charter highlights how widows are systematically stripped of their property, evicted from their matrimonial homes, and branded as bad omens or "Chi Liel" (wife of the grave). This is not just culture; it is criminality masquerading as custom. The 2010 Constitution guarantees equal rights to land and inheritance, but in the villages of Rarieda and Bondo, the constitution is often overruled by the council of elders.

The bureaucratic violence is equally damaging. Widows face insurmountable hurdles in accessing their deceased husbands' pensions. Files disappear, bribes are demanded, and years pass while children drop out of school. The demand for the "elimination of delaying bureaucratic barriers" is a direct challenge to the government agencies that treat widows not as citizens, but as nuisances.

• The HIV Link: The sexual exploitation of widows is a major driver of HIV transmission in the Lake Basin region. By forcing these women into unsafe sexual transaction for economic survival, the "Jaboya" system perpetuates a cycle of disease and death that orphans even more children.
• Policy Gaps: The widows are calling for the domestication of international resolutions protecting them. They want targeted financial support, not handouts, to balance the opportunity costs of raising families alone. They are asking for a seat at the table where decisions about their lives are made.

A Call to Conscience

The Rona Foundation’s work in Siaya has documented over 8,000 cases of abuse. This is a crisis of human rights. The Governor of Siaya and the Ministry of Gender must move beyond platitudes. We need a county-level law that criminalizes widow dispossession and funds safe economic alternatives to the fish trade.

Until a widow can inherit her husband’s land without fear of violence, and trade in the market without selling her body, our claims of being a civilized society remain hollow. These women are not asking for pity; they are demanding the justice they are owed.