Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies (JAIS): ISSN 2523-6725 (online) February 2020 Vol. 4, No. 2 Citation: Kavulavu, L, Chang’ach, J. K & Tanui, P. J. (2020). Conception and Perception of Marriage among the Isukha People, Kakamega County, Kenya, 1990-2010. Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies, 4(2), 4 – 15. 4 Copyright © 2020 Centre for Democracy, Research and Development (CEDRED), Nairobi, Kenya. http://cedred.org/jais/index.php/issues Conception and Perception of Marriage among the Isukha People, Kakamega County, Kenya, 1990-2010 By Leen Kavulavu, John Koskey Chang’ach and Prisca J. Tanui School of Arts & Social Sciences, Department of History, Political Science & Public Administration, P.O Box 3900-30100 Moi University Correspondence: leenkavulavu@yahoo.com, jchangach@yahoo.com ptoo212@gmail.com Abstract From the 1990s there was a major shift in the traditional conception and perception of marriage. Marriage was viewed less as an alliance between families, and more as a relationship between the two individuals concerned, this betokens a movement from collective responsibility to individual accountability in mate-selection. This shift in the focus of marriage from a family relationship in which people shared their joys and sorrows together, to an alliance between two individuals was not only diminishing the parental and family role in the marriage process and weakening the sense of community but also re-defining the basis for and the order of priority in the marriage enterprise. This article provides an analysis and discussion of the changing paradigm shift in ideas and trajectories about African marriages with specific focus on Isukha marriage. Many families among the Isukha faced serious moral dilemmas because of conflicting conceptions of what was “right and wrong” owing to a general lack of consensus on acceptable standards of marital behaviours. Specifically, primary and secondary data were used to gather information for the study. Primary data was collected through personal interviews and group discussions. Secondary data was collected through library research. This study argues that at the end of the day reverting to the basic essential value of marriage will go a long way in the preservation of some of these ills that are associated with marriage. It expects that society will be able to learn from the traditional system, that indeed not for nostalgic reasons, the core of marriage is to be preserved in life. Key words: Kenya, Culture, Isukha Kakamega Luyia and Marriage