“Its possible.”
The non-Muslim traditional tribal marriage that Kezia describes in the Daily Mail article conforms exactly with the Wiki description of Luo religion and marriage customs.
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“Barack was also worried about what his father would think because I was so young, but he gave us his approval. He sent my mother and father 14 cows for my dowry.
“Barack’s father was only a cook so it was a big sacrifice. Very soon after, we were married.”
That was January 1957. Kezia and Barack Snr set up home in Jericho, a section of Nairobi created for government employees, and began a family.
First son Roy was born in March 1958. Kezia insisted: “Barack was a good husband.”
It was not long before Barack’s potential was noticed by his employees and he was offered a scholarship to the US.
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What multiple marriages there were among the Luo and I believe in the BHO Sr.-Kezia case were NOT Muslim but tribal. The baby boys were NOT circumcised, as is the Muslim custom. There is a sect begun in 1907 that is a mash-up of Christianity, Islam and tribal customs but would not be recognized as Islam or Sharia-following by Muslims.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luo_people_of_Kenya_and_Tanzania
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Religious customs
Like many ethnic communities in Uganda, including the Baganda, Langi, Acholi, and Alur, the Luo do not practice the ritual circumcision of males as initiation. Instead, children formerly had their six lower front teeth removed at an initiation. This ritual has largely fallen out of use.
In 1907, Johanna Owalo formed the first African independent church in Kenya called Nomiya or “the mission i was given”. Nomiya church is a mixture of Christian, Islam and traditional African religious doctrines. The church practices circumcision for male children at the age of 8 days and they pray facing north. The church currently has a following of 800,000 in the Nyanza region. Other local churches include Legio Maria, Roho and Fwenya among others.
Marriage customs
Historically, couples were introduced to each other by matchmakers, but this is not common now. Like many other communities in Kenya, marriage among the Luo at the moment is fast becoming westernized and people are moving away from the traditional way of doing things. The Luo frequently marry outside the tribe. The traditional marriage ceremony takes place in two parts, both involving the payment of a bride price by the groom. The first ceremony, the Ayie, involves a payment of money to the mother of the bride; the second stage involves giving cattle to her father. Often these two steps are carried out at the same time, and, as many modern Luos are Christians, a church ceremony often follows. If the husband should die during the marriage, it is customary for the brother to act as a replacement.
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Remember that BHO Sr. was an atheist and communist. His father only converted away from the tribal religion and became Muslim to spite the Christian British whom he loathed after being tortured for aiding the Mau Mau.
BHO Sr. went to an Anglican school that only accepted Christians and taught Chrisitanity and he was assisted in Nairobi with his high school education by Christian Missionaries.
BHO Sr. and Kezia were living openly as legal husband and wife in Nairobi with his infant son before leaving for the US.
BHO Sr. asked Tom Mboya to provide support for his “wife” in Nairobi.
Kezia didn't raise her own son Muslim and neither did Ruth.
There is not a trace on the part of BHO Sr. of Muslim upbringing, marriage, observance, raising sons in Islam in any of this.
So I would say, no, there is no possibility that the Marriage to Kezia was a false one to protect her from Muslim justice for having a child out of wedlock.
Well, it would not be the first time someone hid behind the law.