Senator Hezena Lemaletian on Why She Called Off Engagement, Returned Dowry

Nominated Senator Hezena Lemaletian has for the first time broken her silence on the possible reason that led her to order her elders to cancel her engagement plans and return the groom's dowry.

Speaking to entertainment journalists last weekend at a YY Comedian comedy event, Lemaletian hinted that the issue of Gender Based Violence may have played a part in her decision to return the dowry.

According to her, she hopes to be a good example to some quotas, especially women, that your life is of great value and cannot be traded for anything, so protect it selfishly.

“I strongly condemn any form of GBV, and I just hope I can be a role model to somebody because I just sent back my dowry a few months ago and I don’t care about that. I have not broken a finger or a leg to do that,” the senator from Samburu said.

Furthermore, Lemaletian said that every woman should come forward to speak out against the oppression of traditions and cultures that have long portrayed women as weak creatures in front of their male counterparts.

According to Lemaletian, it is time for women to stop believing what she called the stereotype that you must be patient in marriage despite suffering.

She advised women not to tolerate abusive marriages to please society, because at the end of the day, the effects of abusive marriages do not affect society but they affect you as an individual, and your immediate family will be the ones left with those scars, not society.

“Women must be able to take up their power, be able to say no to abusive relationships and know that they can thrive alone. You don’t have to suffer or be unhappy because you’re trying to please society and at the end of the day you’ll be the one who is dead. If you have children, they’ll be left motherless,” Lemaletian advised.

According to the beautiful senator, it doesn't matter if you have children, if your marriage is a mess and painful, get out and start your life afresh, as many single mothers are happy and independent after saying no to abusive marriages.

“We have so many single mothers living a happy and contented life. A lot of times if you are in a marriage that doesn’t give you a platform to thrive, be who you are, and explore your full potential, that’s an abusive marriage,” Lemaletian added.

On May 16, 2025, Lemaletian revealed that she had changed her heart about marrying her fiancé with whom they announced an engagement on October 2024.

Lemaletian said that she had to abandon the relationship after elders from her Samburu community conducted a thorough background check on the family of the groom-to-be and found some harrowing information that made them halt the marriage process and even return the dowry that was paid upfront.

In her statement, she explained that despite recent claims, she is not married and has no plans to marry the individual.