Former Ebonies actress Mariam Bukenya, popularly known as Ketra, has shared her firm views on raising children born to a co-wife, saying she would not take on that responsibility in her home.
Ketra’s comments came amid a discussion surrounding children born outside a marriage and the expectations placed on other women within polygamous or blended family arrangements.
Referencing a debate on one of singer Sheebah Karungi’s podcast shows, where she hosted veteran singer Joanita Kawalya, Ketra backed Kawalya’s position that she could not take responsibility for raising children belonging to her co-wife.
For Ketra, the responsibility of raising a child should primarily remain with the child’s biological mother — except in an extreme circumstance.
Ketra was sharing her views after a discussion involving Joanita Kawalya sparked a debate about whether women should raise children born to their co-wives.
During the conversation, Kawalya reportedly said she could not take care of children belonging to her co-wife.
Ketra said she shared that position.
“I can’t allow or raise children belonging to my co-wife in my home,” she said.
The former Ebonies actress made it clear that public criticism would not change her position.
“I don’t mind how the public reacts. Those who want to quarrel can do so,” Ketra added.
Her reasoning centers on parental responsibility.
According to Ketra, every parent knows how best to raise their children, and she questioned why another woman should automatically be expected to assume that responsibility.
“Every parent knows how best to raise their children. If you managed to carry and give birth to the child, why would you want someone else to raise your child?” she asked.
However, Ketra did identify one situation in which she would be willing to take responsibility for her co-wife’s children.
She said she would consider raising them if their biological mother died.
That exception, she explained, would make the circumstances different and understandable.
Ketra’s broader argument is that a man should consider other family members before bringing children born outside his marriage into his marital home and expecting his wife to raise them.
She suggested that his sisters, relatives or grandparents could potentially help with the children’s upbringing.
Her concern, she said, is that bringing such children into the marital home could create additional complications within the relationship.
Ketra also expressed concern about what accepting such an arrangement could communicate to a husband.
She argued that if a woman agrees to raise a child her husband fathered outside their relationship, the man could interpret that acceptance as permission to repeat the behavior.
“Once I allow a man to bring a child outside our relationship for me to raise, it is like giving him permission to go and have another child outside again,” she said.
The comments place Ketra firmly on one side of a debate that touches on marriage, parenting, responsibility and family expectations.
Ketra, whose real name is Mariam Bukenya, is a former actress associated with the Ebonies, a Ugandan entertainment group known for its theatrical productions.
Her latest comments emerged from a wider conversation about family structures and the responsibilities that can arise when a man has children with more than one woman.
The discussion was linked to a podcast hosted by singer Sheebah Karungi, where Joanita Kawalya was a guest.
Kawalya’s position that she could not raise children belonging to her co-wife was echoed by Ketra, who offered her own reasoning for reaching the same conclusion.
Ketra’s position is not that children should be left without care. Instead, she argues that responsibility should remain with their biological mother where possible, while acknowledging that circumstances such as the mother’s death could require a different arrangement.
Ketra’s comments tap into a sensitive conversation about the realities of polygamous and blended families.
When children are born outside a man’s existing relationship, questions can arise over where they should live, who should provide daily care and what responsibilities should fall on other members of the family.
Ketra’s position draws a clear boundary around those responsibilities.
She believes a woman should not automatically be expected to become the primary caregiver for children her husband had with another woman.
At the same time, her exception for the death of a biological mother shows that her position is not absolute.
Her comments ultimately frame the issue around responsibility, consent and the potential consequences that family arrangements can have on a marriage.
Behind Ketra’s strong position is her belief that raising a child is a major responsibility that should not simply be transferred from one mother to another.
Her comments also reveal concern about the message such an arrangement could send within a marriage.
For her, accepting responsibility for a husband’s child outside the relationship could potentially blur boundaries and create expectations for similar arrangements in the future.
Still, she recognizes that life can produce circumstances where those boundaries have to change, particularly if a child’s biological mother is no longer alive.
Ketra’s position is clear: she would not voluntarily raise children born to a co-wife, but says she would reconsider if their biological mother died. Her comments have added another voice to the ongoing debate over responsibility in complex family structures.