When popular Gen Z artist Fathermoh boldly declared, “I can never pay dowry. I’m the prize,” he probably didn’t anticipate the storm that would follow. Yet, his resurfaced video has once again ignited an emotional debate across Kenyan households, especially among parents who have long regarded dowry as a sacred cultural ritual.
For many parents, the clip feels like another example of how far today’s generation is drifting from tradition. But to understand the uproar, it’s important to listen closely, not just to what Fathermoh said, but to what his words reveal about the shifting mindset of young people navigating love, money, and modern identity.
The Changing Meaning of Dowry
Dowry or bride price has always been more than a transaction. It is a symbol of respect to a woman’s family, a gesture of goodwill and a bridge between two clans. Parents across generations have cherished it as a cornerstone of marriage traditions.
But to a growing number of young men and women, it now feels like a heavy burden. They see it as a financial negotiation that reduces love to a price tag and locks many out of marriage altogether. When Fathermoh says he would rather take the dowry money “to his father,” he’s not just rebelling against culture he’s expressing frustration at a system they feel no longer reflects fairness or partnership.
What Parents Might Be Missing
Parents often view such remarks as disrespectful or arrogant. But for Gen Z, self-worth is deeply personal. They live in a world that constantly tells them to “know their value,” to question norms and to refuse practices that feel transactional.
When Fathermoh calls himself “the prize,” he’s echoing a generation that wants equality in relationships not entitlement. They are not necessarily rejecting culture; they are asking it to evolve.
That doesn’t mean all is lost. It means there’s a bridge that needs rebuilding between parents and their children one where both sides listen without judgment.
Why the Debate Matters
This isn’t just a social media storm. It’s a mirror reflecting the gap between tradition and modernity. Parents see dowry as honor; some Gen Z sees it as a burden. Both are right, in their own ways.
As a parent, it’s worth asking: how can we preserve the spirit of respect and unity in dowry without making it a financial strain? Can we teach our sons that honoring a woman’s family doesn’t have to mean emptying their pockets and teach our daughters that value goes beyond what is paid for them?
A Call for Honest Conversations
Fathermoh’s statement may sound blunt, even offensive to some, but it has opened an important conversation. Parents, perhaps it’s time to talk less about “how things used to be” and more about how culture can adapt to the world our children are living in today.
Because whether we like it or not, the next generation is rewriting the rules and maybe, just maybe, it’s time we listen.
