The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops has raised the alarm over what it terms as growing barriers to marriage in Kenya, warning that bureaucratic hurdles are quietly eroding the institution and threatening social stability.
In a statement sent to newsrooms on Thursday, April 16, the bishops defended marriage as the foundation of society, stressing that “our families are the cradle of life, and the base of a stable and balanced society,” while calling for urgent action to safeguard and strengthen unions across the country.
The clergy pointed to mounting frustrations in the civil marriage process, faulting authorities for what they described as an increasingly difficult and inefficient system. According to the bishops, couples are now facing delays and complications in notification procedures, certificate processing, and legalization requirements.
They noted that “the process of notification, obtaining certificates has become unnecessarily arduous,” adding that clearance procedures are often slow and insensitive to pre-set wedding dates. The situation has been worsened by a reported shortage of marriage certificates, further complicating plans for couples seeking to formalize their unions.
The Catholic Bishops through the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops during a press conference on November 14, 2024. /PHOTO
The bishops warned that these challenges are already discouraging many Kenyans from getting married, a trend they argue carries wider social consequences. They cautioned that the decline in formal unions could “cause a moral dent to the society” and expose vulnerable partners to legal risks due to a lack of formal recognition.
Citing the Constitution of Kenya, the religious leaders urged the government to uphold its constitutional obligation to protect the family unit and ensure accessible, efficient marriage processes.
“When our families and the institution of marriage are strong, our society thrives,” the bishops emphasized, calling for immediate reforms to restore confidence in the system and make marriage more accessible to Kenyans.
A marriage only attains legal status when both parties give mutual consent, and the union is properly solemnised and registered, culminating in the issuance of a marriage certificate.
A shortage of these certificates has raised concerns about delays in completing the process, effectively holding back the formal recognition of unions even where all other requirements have been fulfilled.
The concerns raised by the bishops come amid persistent complaints over inefficiencies in government documentation services. Kenyans have repeatedly flagged delays in the issuance of key documents, including birth and death certificates, as well as slow processing of national IDs and passports, alongside mounting backlogs in civil registration offices.
At the same time, the government has sought to address these challenges by setting timelines for document processing. For passports and national IDs, authorities indicate that applications should be processed within up to 72 hours.
Additionally, most government services—including marriage registration—have been digitised through the eCitizen platform, which currently hosts more than 22,000 services.
