The expansion of freedom comes from very unlikely quarters. One such was musician Esther Akoth alias Akothee Easter weekend wedding — her second in addition to her other five ‘marriages’. In that one act of matrimony, she expanded the vista of freedom, especially for couples stuck in unions that are not conducive for happiness or are irretrievably broken down for one reason or the other.

With her bold decision to pursue personal happiness, she has shown women—and men too—that it is possible and okay to follow one’s heart and dare to dream of love and happiness. Although her decision has been met with opprobrium and is likely to be the subject of a morality debate in the short term, it is significant in the sense that it breaks an important barrier for adults who erroneously believe that they have to remain in relationships that no longer fulfill them.

Although marriage vows are “for better or for worse”, there are instances, especially when a spouse is violent or homicidal, when it becomes imperative to walk away for one’s health and well-being. However, often, due to poverty and societal straitjackets, many adults feel constrained to remain in unions that harm them. In that act of courage and being true to herself, Akothee has demonstrated that matrimonial bondage need not be the lot of couples who are stuck in abusive unions. If anything, it has raised the bar for couples to shape up and value each other’s happiness and fulfillment.

Her act is not revolutionary. However, those who study society and social trends ought to study her case closely and educate the greater public on the critical lessons that individuals ought to take away to right what is wrong in their relationships because, despite the silence around this, it remains one of the biggest problems confronting the society today and is a leading cause of domestic violence.

One important lesson that Akothee personifies is that one needs not seek social or public validation in the pursuit of personal goals. She has made an important moral statement that many are afraid to make because they are held back by fear of the unknown. She has demonstrated that it is okay for women to dream their own dreams, to dare their own stars and step out of traditionally constraining roles. In a sense, she has expanded freedoms for women, and shown that with their own incomes, they do not have to be held back by unwritten social rules.