Man’s meddling family costs him his three-year marriage

A man who allowed his family meddle in his marriage has lost his wife in a divorce.

After the couple married in 2018, court records show that the groom took his new bride to his parent’s house. That was the start of their problems.

His wife told the court that she had no problem with him apart from allowing his family to micromanage their affairs. The husband also did not intervene when she was assaulted by his sister.

After she filed for divorce at the Kadhi’s Court, the man, in his defence, complained that his wife had left their home without his consent and allowed her family to interfere with their marriage. He also accused her of abandoning their marriage.

The Kadhi, however, ordered the man to apologise to wife’s parents and provide her with a house that he could afford.

But instead of complying with the orders, he wrote a divorce letter and had it delivered to his wife. Armed with the letter, the wife went back to court. She testified before Senior Principal Kadhi Abdulhalim Athman that the man had neglected her and caused her mental anguish.

The man, however, failed to show up in court on the day his wife was giving her second testimony. His absence was duly noted by the court.

“He clearly failed to comply with any of the court’s directions aimed at salvaging the marriage. It was confirmed that he wrote and had a divorce letter. Both parties agree the marriage is irretrievably broken. Divorce, once pronounced or written by the husband, becomes effective,” said the Kadhi.

The Kadhi ruled that although the divorce letter was unsigned and undated, the man’s failure to appear before the court made it impossible for the court to know whether he meant what he wrote, or if it was a joke.

“It would depend on the intention of the respondent, which we could not establish due to his non-appearance at trial. In any case, the party’s marriage, be and is hereby confirmed dissolved,” he ruled.

He ordered that the man pay for the woman’s maintenance, and give her Sh50,000 as a conciliatory gift.

“Accordingly, he is hereby ordered to pay past maintenance for six months (April to September) at the rate of Sh200 per day; that is Sh36,000,” the Kadhi ruled.