Deaf couple ties the knot in rare wedding ceremony

Mr William Mwaura and Ms Phyllis Wawira, who are both deaf, during their wedding in Murang’a County on Saturday. PHOTO | NDUNGU GACHANE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • With the help of an interpreter, the villagers followed the wedding proceedings without missing a word the couple exchanged.

  • The interpreter, Immanuel Muigai, said the partners met each other in 2016 in Embu County during a church function.

  • The deaf community in Murang’a has complained of negligence by the government, saying that over the years their needs have been ignored.

A deaf couple that dated mostly through text messages exchanged wedding vows at the weekend in a ceremony presided over by a deaf pastor in Murang’a.

Mr William Mwaura 29, and Ms Phyllis Wawira, 28, got married at Kang’eng’u ACK church in Kandara constituency on Saturday after a one-and-a-half-year courtship.

The wedding of the couple, whose best couple and bridesmaids are also deaf, attracted a huge crowd that had gathered to witness a rare ceremony in the area.

With the help of an interpreter, the bride and the bridegroom’s parents and the villagers followed the proceedings of the wedding, keen not to miss any word. The interpreter, Mr Immanuel Muigai, said the two met in 2016 in Embu County during a church function since both are ardent followers of Deaf Mission Fellowship Church.

FRIENDS

“After interacting, the two church members became friends, with their friendship evolving into a love relationship and that’s how a courtship began,” Mr Muigai, who is also a member of the Deaf Mission Fellowship in  Nakuru County, told the Nation.

Ms Wawira hails from Embu County while Mr Mwaura comes from Kandara. They kept their love blossoming through text messages, which were a major part of their interactions.

Mr Mwaura is a carpenter while his wife is a hairdresser, showing disability is not inability.

Talking to Nation through the interpreter, the couple said they were ready to settle down. “When I met my wife, one-and-a-half years ago, I felt new and I knew I had met my helper,” said Mr Mwaura.

NEGLIGENCE

During the event, however, the deaf community accused the government of negligence, saying over the years they have not been prioritised and on most national issues and platforms they are not given interpreters.

They complained about recent functions such Mr Kenneth Matiba’s burial, saying the lack of an interpreter made them feel left out of such an important event.

They urged television stations to enlarge the image of interpreters on their screens since most of them find it difficult to follow the signs during news time.