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Kwale residents urged to legalise marriages to benefit from gov’t programmes

Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy Salim Mvurya (left) and Matuga MP Kassim Tandaza (right) during a mass wedding in Kwale County in March 2024 (Photo: Courtesy)

By Mishi Gongo | 15 Apr 2024

Legalising marriage promotes a sense of equity, security, peace, and sustainable growth, according to the MP.

The government has urged Kwale residents to register and legalise their marriages to benefit from its health insurance programmes.

Matuga Member of Parliament Kassim Tandaza, on Friday, April 12, said that many residents were in "come-we-stay" marriages that block them from benefiting from government initiatives.

Other than the health insurance programme, widows are also locked out of inheriting their husband's property as they lack documents to prove their marriages.

The county, he said, has witnessed cases of widows failing to prove that they were in a relationship with a man after his death.

"Let us register our weddings to benefit from the health insurance fund and secure our inheritance," he urged while attending a burial in Kwale County.

Tandaza added that legalising marriage promotes a sense of equity, security, peace, and sustainable growth.

"Women are often in trouble since they are left alone with children when marriages break. They are denied inheritance, which they worked hard with their partners to attain," he highlighted.

Legalising marriages further provides protection and shared responsibilities in cases where marriages go south, according to the legislator.

Registered relationships guarantee the partners' lifetime commitments that they often strive to keep, unlike "come-we-stay," where one party can decide to end it anytime and the process is not costly.

The MP also emphasised that the government is committed to protecting the rights of girls and women.

He also criticised locals promoting child marriages and teen pregnancies, warning that such vices hinder the development of girls and women.

Tandaza urged chiefs, their assistants, village elders, and residents to ensure all children are protected and their rights, like access to education, are championed.