A growing number of men from Kenya’s largest ethnic group, the Kikuyu, are challenging patriarchal norms by taking their mothers' names as their official surnames. In a society where children traditionally inherit their father's name, this shift has ignited heated national debates and, in some cases, subjected these men to public ridicule.
While some men are given female surnames at birth, others choose them later in life to honor the single mothers who raised them. Among them is politician John Njũgũna Wanjikũ, a member of parliament nicknamed "Ka-Wanjikũ" (child of Wanjikũ). The trend also has a strong presence in the music industry. Veteran musician Peter Kĩgia, known as "Kĩgia wa Esther" (son of Esther), adopted his mother’s name as his stage name decades ago, paving the way for younger artists. Officially, journalist Simon Macharia Wangũi chose his mother's name for his birth certificate to avoid giving credit to an absent father. "Why give somebody credit where it does not exist?" he asked.
However, carrying a female surname comes with significant social hurdles. Broadcaster Evans Kibe Waceke notes that single-parent households still face deep stigma in Kenya, with people often assuming children raised by single mothers lack discipline or morals. The choice has also faced backlash from public figures like motivational speaker Robert Burale, who argued that having a female surname undermines masculinity. This pressure led TV personality Fred Mũitĩrĩri to drop his mother's surname entirely after experiencing low self-esteem and depression from being teased as a child.
Despite the backlash, supporters point to both historical and modern realities to justify the practice. Kikuyu cultural expert Wairimũ Mũkũrũ explains that the rise of female surnames is linked to the increasing prevalence of single-mother families. Traditionally, if a father was absent, a maternal uncle would step in as a male figure, but modern relatives are often reluctant to do so to avoid inheritance and property disputes. Furthermore, Mũgwe wa Njũhĩ, an official of a Kikuyu cultural group, points out that Kikuyu mythology itself traces the community's lineage back to the ten daughters of their founding ancestors. Thus, aligning with women has deep roots in their culture.
According to academic George Gathigi from the University of Nairobi, identifying children by their mother's name was historically done informally, especially in large polygamous families to distinguish siblings. However, the formal adoption of female surnames is a modern phenomenon. Gathigi believes this trend reflects the rising influence and strength of women in contemporary society as they increasingly take on responsibilities traditionally held by men.