Former U.S. President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama have quashed rumours suggesting their marriage is on the rocks.
During a recent episode of 'The Michelle Obama Podcast' - which she co-hosts with her brother, Craig Robinson - the former President revealed he was entirely unaware of the speculations.
“These are the kinds of things that I just miss," Obama stated during the podcast. "I don't even know this stuff is going on, and then somebody mentioned it to me, and I was like, What are you talking about?” he recounted.
The couple's response comes after months of public speculation about the state of their marriage, largely fuelled by social media discussions and unverified reports, after Michelle failed to appear alongside Obama at some public events.
Addressing the matter, Michelle stated that the idea of leaving Barack has never crossed her mind since they got married in 1992.
She said that even though they have had difficult times before, they have shared even greater adventures.
"There hasn't been a single moment in our marriage when I thought about quitting on my man. We have had some really hard times, we have had a lot of fun times, a lot of adventures, and I have become a better person because of the man I'm married to,” Michelle said.
In Kenya, there is a notable rise in divorce rates. While still below global averages, the increasing number of dissolved marriages signals a trend that is steadily reshaping marital landscapes across the country.
New data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) paints a picture of this shift. According to the Kenya Vital Statistics Report 2024, the proportion of women reported as divorced or separated more than doubled from 4.6 percent in 1989 to 9.3 percent by 2022.
Despite this increase, Kenya's overall divorce rate, currently standing at approximately 15 percent of marriages, remains considerably lower than the 30 percent observed in some sub-Saharan countries.
The report further indicates that this rising trend in divorce and separation is most pronounced among women aged 15 to 49.
According to the KNBS report, divorce and separation rates are higher among older age groups in Kenya, with older couples more likely to separate than younger couples.
