Church aggrieved over marriage licensing law

The recent directive by the Attorney General’s office that church ministers must apply for new licenses to conduct marriages under the new Marriage Act, seems to be causing disquiet among some members of the clergy. According to the directive, all licensed ministers are to return marriage certi?cate books issued under the old law by November 1, failure to which they will have their licenses cancelled. In a recent meeting with the Registrar General, the clergy were informed that the new marriage certificate books would cost Sh25,000. Furthermore, all licensed ministers of faith are required to apply to the Registrar of Marriages for renewal of license or for new licenses, for which they also have to pay. It is these requirements that seem to be rubbing the men of the cloth in the wrong way, and for several reasons.

According to the new law, those authorised to celebrate marriages include duly licensed ministers of faith, in the case of Christian and Hindu marriages; Kadhis, sheikhs and imams, in the case of Muslim marriages; or the director of marriages in the case of civil and traditional marriages.