A very public gay Kenyan wedding in 2009!
Two Kenyan men in October 2009 became the first Kenyan gay couple to publicly wed in London.
Charles Ngengi, then 40 and his bride, Daniel Chege Gichia, then 39, became civil partners under the controversial Civil Partnership Act which came into effect in the UK in 2005 allowing couples of the same sex to have legal recognition of their relationship.
The couple tied the knot at a civil partnership ceremony at Islington Town Hall in North London at 11.30 a.m. UK time.
“The 30-minute ceremony witnessed by 50 guests was conducted by the registrar of marriages at Islington Council. Both Ngengi and Chege clad in matching cream suits and black shoes, arrived at Islington Council Town Hall shortly before 11 a.m. driven by a close friend in a Volvo car.“
They later divorced after two years.
Mr Daniel Chege Gichia confirmed that the divorce was filed by his civil partner, Mr Charles Ng’ang’a Wacera, alias Charles Ngengi months ago.
He said the court was expected to issue a decree nisi soon. Decree nisi is the first step towards the court recognition that a marriage has irretrievably broken down.
In the UK, if decree nisi is not challenged for six months by either couple, a final order — decree absolute — is issued and this legally brings the marriage to an end.
“I don’t know why the court’s ruling has taken this long. I am sure it will come out any time from now,” Gichia said.
Image: NATION MEDIA GROUP