Kajiado, Kenya - The traditional right of Masai men to beat their wives was yesterday overturned in a ground-breaking court case, writes David Orr. Moita ole Kiranto, who last year subjected his wife to a beating over several hours, was convicted of unlawful assault causing bodily harm. The herdsman was fined £52 - the price of a cow. Ms Agnes Siyankoi Moita (32), who has been separated from her 57-year-old husband since the beating, said afterwards she was unhappy with the verdict.
"I wanted to see him in prison," she said outside the courthouse. "This fine is nothing, he caused me a lot of pain." But her lawyer welcomed the verdict, arguing it would set an important precedent in Kenyan law: "Husbands will now think twice before beating their wives."