Nairobi News

Ugandan socialite and reality TV star Zari Hassan, 44, has opened up about why she didn’t take long to make up her mind to marry her young husband, Shakib Lutaaya Chum, 32, after just one year of dating.
Before meeting Shakib, Zari had been in a romantic relationship for four years with Bongo Flava star singer Diamond Platnumz. Although there was talk of tying the knot at some point in their relationship, Zari remained reluctant.
But that wasn’t the case with her husband, Shakib. They met in 2022 and decided to marry a year later under the Islamic teachings.
“Why I decided to make it halal with Shakib (out of all the men I have been with) is because he is a very nice guy. He is someone who makes me feel at home when I am with him. Home is not a building, it’s where you find peace and that’s what Shakib is.”  Zari recently shared this while in Kenya to renew her brand ambassadorship deal with Samsung Electronics.
Just a few months after their wedding, their marriage seemed to be going downhill as the couple got into some nasty public spats on social media that made people question their marriage.
One incident occurred last year, when Zari publicly criticized her husband, accusing him of being overly insecure.
The issue arose after Diamond, with whom Zari has two children, made an unannounced visit to her daughter’s birthday party in South Africa.
The party, hosted by Zari, was an extravagant all-white affair at her luxurious Pretoria home to celebrate her daughter Tiffah’s special day.
However, the event took a turn when Shakib expressed his frustration over Diamond’s surprise appearance.
Shakib questioned why he wasn’t informed that Diamond would be attending the party and suggested that Zari might still be in love with him, something the socialite vehemently denied.
“I know I got my shenanigans but I am sure he is learning how to put up with them. Shakib leads, he knows how to tone me down, calm me down. You know I am very stubborn and I am also not very submissive but Shakib kind of knows how to put me in my place. He is a very calm guy, so he uses that to his advantage. So when I  felt that when we started dating, I felt somehow okay, I needed a man like him and so I felt safe to marry him.