Inspired by Akothee’s wedding? Here’s how to get your interracial marriage registration
It is now being hailed as ‘the royal wedding’ in various social media circles.
Kenyan musician Akothee and Denis Schweizer’s grand, luxurious wedding at the Windsor Golf and Country Club continues to trend days after it took place on April 10, 2023.
As they counted down the days to tying the knot, many people thought this was another of Akothee’s gimmicks with the current man in her life but the duo proved millions wrong when they actually walked down and up the aisle hand in hand. The wedding coverage was done on both mainstream and social media platforms with millions of fans gushing at how royal it appeared when the couple left the venue in a white horse drawn carriage, had a marching band perform for them and had several A-list guests and popular celebrities at their event.
Some people, including Amber Ray and upcoming rapper Diana B, were seen saying that Akothee had set the standard and they hoped to celebrate their weddings in similar fashion. Nairobi News took the initiative to find out how- aside from paying Sh 7 million for their wedding, Akothee’s husband was able to marry in Kenya despite being from Switzerland.
According to the Marriage Act of Kenya, there are rules which marrying couples must abide by when marrying in Kenya. For a marriage between a Kenyan and a foreigner to take place on Kenyan soil, the Kenyan is expected to provide the following documents: Identification card/valid Kenyan passport (copies & original), colored passport photos, a copy and the original birth certificate and an affidavit. This affidavit is required in two instances. One is if the Kenyan is widowed; then they would be required to provide the copy and original of the death certificate of the deceased spouse. The second instance is if they divorced then they are required to provide a copy and the original Divorce Decree Absolute.
For the foreign national, the Kenyan Marriage Act requires the person to provide a copy and original valid passport, a copy and the original birth certificate, a colored passport photo and a certificate of no impediment to marriage. If the foreigner is a widow/widower or has been divorced, then they too are required to provide the Death and Divorce Decree Absolute original and copies of the certificates. The foreigner is also required to provide the relevant authorities with a return air ticket/visa or work permit to be in Kenya.
The law also requires both parties to be present before the authorities and to provide a copy of their marrying pastor’s license in the event they will have a church wedding as well as the serial number of the marriage certificate they will be issued with at the ceremony.
Once registered, the certificates are normally issued seven days after the wedding.
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