Proposal To Have Marriage Contracts Renewed Every Two Years

AIKS in a statement believed that the two-year-long contracts should stipulate the marital duties including housekeeping, finances, childcare, and shows of affection for each party.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Jan 16, 2024 - 15:26 Updated: Jan 16, 2024 - 15:28
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Proposal To Have Marriage Contracts Renewed Every Two Years
A man and woman during a wedding. /FILE

The Atheists in Kenya Society (AIKS) called upon Kenyans to embrace marriage contracts that can be renewed every two years, opening up on plans to table a proposal on the same.

AIKS in a statement believed that the two-year-long contracts should stipulate the marital duties including housekeeping, finances, childcare, and shows of affection for each party.

According to the organisation, each partner may decide on whether or not to renew the contracts after the expiry of the two years to avoid divorce cases which have the potential to damage the finances of the partners beyond repair, also providing an alternative to life-long unions.

“Each partner will commit to that contract during the two years. At the end of the two years, the couple can choose to renew their agreement, adjust its terms, or dissolve their marriage,” the organisation said.

Atheists in Kenya Society (AIKS) president, Harrison Mumia. /THE STAR

“Rather than staying in marriages ‘until death’, renewable marriages would allow partners to tweak their marital contract accordingly, or agree that it’s beyond tweaking and end it without the shock or drama of a contentious divorce or lingering doubts about what went wrong.”

AIKS further added that in the event brides and grooms-to-be truly want a happy marriage, then they ought to define their goals and expectations in a renewable marriage contract.

In 2023, the organisation called on President William Ruto to embrace a one-child policy to navigate the harsh economic times as well as curb the rising unemployment in the country.

He attributed this to too many Kenyans born outside wedlock, a matter that could have been avoided if the one-child policy came into force.

Mumia opined that the government could make use of the extra finances on influential development projects as well as salvage a worsening economy in the country.

"Too many births in Kenya is one reason why we are experiencing economic hardships and cultural backwardness. The population should be controlled to combat poverty in Kenya," he remarked.

Divorce these days is like a way of life, compared to the boomer generation where divorce cases were uncommon. In other words, couples can even call it quits amicably at the start of romantic and intimate matters.

The number of divorce applications in the Judiciary has been on the rise in recent years as evidence of marriage not being a bed of roses. In three years since 2020, a total of 10,338 couples sought to separate due to various grounds informing a divorce. 

A report by the Judiciary of Kenya released recently revealed that 4,734 marriages were formally dissolved between 2020 and the end of 2021, counted as a regular fiscal calendar. 

Of the divorces between 2020 and 2021, 3,784 were applied in the magistrate's court across the country, with the remaining 1,820 being applied in the Kadhi Courts. Between 2021 and 2022, marriages totalling 5,604 were formally terminated, with 3,082 divorce applications being in the Magistrate's Court and 1,652 in Kadhi's Courts. 

Since the last report of the 2020/21 fiscal period, 870 more couples called it quits, suggesting the number of divorce cases could constantly rise in the coming years.

A divorce decree. /FILE

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