There was jubilation and ululation at PCEA Tambaya Church in Mukurwe-in Constituency, Nyeri county after 11 couples participated in a mass wedding sponsored by the church.
Of the newly wedded the oldest was 85 years old man who married his 83-year-old wife in 1963 under Kikuyu customary marriage while the youngest groom was 33 years and had been married for 17 years.
According to the Parish Minister Reverend Mary Rie, the church had sponsored the entire event and the couple were only required to carry their rings and walk down the aisle.
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"As a church, we realized that many of these couples who are our church members have not been able to solemnize their marriages owing to financial challenges and as the church, we chipped in to enable the couples to become legally married thus being able to participate fully in church activities," she said.
Njoki said that the oldest couple had been married in 1963 and had not formalized their marriage hence they could not be allowed to participate in church leadership as per its constitution.
Wachira Mathai and his wife Jecinta Wangari from Gaikundo village said after the ceremony that they are a happy couple for attaining the feat at the age of 85 and 84 respectively.
"We feel like we are a newly wedded couple even if we have stayed for years as husband and wife. It's a fresh start for us," Wachira noted.
MP graces weddings
Mukurweini Member of Parliament John Kaguchia who graced the occasion said that for the couples to tie the knot in a formal wedding is not only satisfying but a cure to many succession battles.
"As the MP and one of the sponsors of this event, I feel we have hit two birds with one stone as despite strengthening family ties we have also solved many succession battles and ownership of property with a certified marriage certificate is the ultimate decider in any case," Kaguchia said.
Kaguchia said that he will continue supporting such initiatives adding that young couples should also go for such initiatives as the high cost of living has prevented many to tie the knot in church.
