AG’s office suspends marriages over high client numbers

Couples seeking to tie the knot at Sheria House in Nairobi will have to wait a bit longer after the Office of the Attorney-General has temporarily suspended marriage services.

In a statement to newsrooms, Registrar-General Mary Njuya Tuesday stated that the services will be temporarily halted to allow the department to develop a strategy on handling the high number of clients in compliance with Ministry of Health guidelines on preventing the spread of Covid-19.

The announcement comes just two days after the AG’s office resumed a partial re-opening of selected marriage services.

14-DAY SUSPENSION

Services had initially been suspended for 14 days, with a partial resumption at the offices of the Registrar of Marriages and Registrar of Societies on Monday.

But Ms Njuya noted that the overwhelming number of clients poses a risk in curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

“Following the partial re-opening of selected marriage services on Monday, it was observed that the number of clients who visited Sheria House seeking the same was overwhelming and went against the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health on curbing the spread of Covid-19,” the statement read.

DEVELOP ROADMAP

“As a result, the office has temporarily halted all marriage services in order to develop a clear roadmap on re-opening in an organised manner as guided by the Ministry of Health and to further ensure that safety measures are undertaken in the workplace,” the statement added.

The announcement comes as a blow to couples whose marriage plans have been interfered with by the pandemic.

The Registrar-General’s office had intended to have those who had marriages booked and paid for before the coronavirus pandemic hit the country rescheduled on a priority basis, with individuals being contacted by phone.

NO MASS WEDDINGS

With the coronavirus pandemic affecting most operations in the country, some couples have opted to conduct their weddings without the physical presence of their loved ones while others opted to tie the knot at Sheria House.

However, Ms Njuya has assured the concerned parties that her will resume operations as soon as they can, further apologising for any inconveniences caused.

“We wish to assure all our clients that we are working tirelessly to ensure that provision of these services resumes as soon as it is practically possible. We will communicate upon resumption of services,” she noted.