Marriage services are set to resume after one-month suspension at the office of the Attorney General due to high numbers that raised fears of the spread of Covid-19.
State Law Office Chief Administrative Secretary has indicated that the State Law Office is working on modalities to ensure that clients who will visit Sheria House seeking marriage services will not overwhelm the system.
Guchu who on Wednesday, June 5, apologised for any inconvenience caused, assured lovebirds that they are working tirelessly to ensure that provision of these services resume as soon as is practically possible.
"Officials from the docket visited the registrar of marriages and toured the offices. They made recommendations on what we were able to put in place.
"They will decide when to come back and allow us to conduct marriages again," Guchu stated.
Among measures being considered by the AG's office are allowing only five individuals at an outdoor wedding ceremony. These include a marriage registrar, the couple and two witnesses.
Guchu further urged 793 applicants to reapply for registration of their marriages once services resume at Sheria House. Applications are valid for 90 days.
"Only 22 marriages have not expired. The rest have to apply afresh. If we are to issue certificates to 793 couples, their certificates will not apply legally," she announced.
Applications will be done online through a portal in eCitizen. Couples are required to pay Ksh 3,900 at Sheria House. The 793 couples who are reapplying will not be charged afresh.
“We are looking for premises to allow registrars of marriage to conduct many ceremonies simultaneously but couples will be given their privacy," she added.
For civil marriages, The Marriage Act, 2014 recognises that the ceremony could be conducted in the offices of the registrar of marriages, deputy county commissioners or assistant county commission, where the parties involved place a 21-day marriage notice.
