From 300 cases annually, Lamu County now records only 10 divorce cases in 2016
Lamu Branch chairman of Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya Ustadh Abubakar Shekuwe during a public awareness forum at Mkunguni Square on November 30, 2016. He said divorce cases in the county have dropped from over 300 to 10 cases per year. PHOTO | KALUME KAZUNGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mr Shekuwe noted that out of the over 30 marriages and weddings that were registered each month, only about five would last.
- Mohamed Abdulkadir urged married couples and those planning to marry to learn the essence of being committed.
- He said lack of responsibility especially on the part of men is also largely to blame for increased divorce cases.
- he urged men to take their responsibilities in marriage seriously.
Cases of divorce in Lamu County have drastically reduced over the last two years and this has been attributed to interventions by religious leaders.
The cases are said to have gone down from at least 300 annually in 2014 and 2015 to less than 10 divorce cases in 2016.
The Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) Lamu branch chairman Ustadh Abubakar Shekuwe said religious leaders in the county embarked on a mission to preach respect and commitment in marriages, a move that has in turn helped reduce the number of divorces being recorded.
Speaking in his Lamu office on Tuesday, Mr Shekuwe said drugs are largely to blame for the past history of high divorce rates in the county.
He noted that out of the over 30 marriages and weddings that were registered each month, only about five would last while the rest ended up in the divorce courts in less than a year.
THINGS ARE CHANGING
“We would receive not less than ten divorce requests a week. We would marry over 30 couples but only five of these lasted [in marriage].
“But ever since we began educating people on how to make their marriages work through commitment and perseverance, things are changing.
“The entire year (2016), we only had ten cases of divorce and that is a sign [we are headed] the right direction,” said Mr Shekuwe.
Lamu’s Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics (CICC) chairman Mohamed Abdulkadir urged married couples and those planning to marry to learn the essence of being committed to one’s partner so as to allow for personal and national development.
Mr Abdulkadir said lack of responsibility especially on the part of men is also largely to blame for increased divorce cases.
“Men especially have not taking their responsibility seriously. All these tasks have been left to the women which shouldn’t be the case and when things can no longer hold, a divorce becomes inevitable,” said Mr Abdulkadir.
