A middle-aged man faced a significant setback when the court informed him that the woman he had lived with for 22 years was not legally his wife.
According to The Standard, the man sought to end his long-term relationship but discovered in court that he had never formally married the woman. Thus, despite their years together, they had been living as friends rather than a legally married couple.
The couple lived together until December 2020 when the woman relocated to the United States. Displeased by her decision not to return to Kenya, the man, identified as JTO, went to court to end the relationship with the woman, known as AP, The Standard reported.
The case, initially heard in a lower court before being appealed to a higher court, revolved around JTO’s claim of a traditional marriage ceremony without official documentation.
The judge ruled that although a traditional wedding occurred, it needed to be officially registered with government authorities to be recognized legally.
Since the man did not complete this registration, he lacked a certificate to prove the woman was his wife.
Despite his claims of adhering to Luo customs, the man could not provide evidence of a legal marriage. Consequently, the court determined there was no marriage to dissolve due to the absence of legal documentation.
“Indeed, by failing to register his customary marriage, the appellant was prevented from seeking to dissolve any union with the respondent,” the judge concluded.
By Ghafla