Temporary stop to marriages in Kenya, until a date to be set.
This was decided yesterday by the Attorney General's Office, after at the beginning of the week, the counters of the main office in Nairobi, Sheria House, had been literally stormed by hundreds of Kenyan citizens who, without respect for distances and in some cases without even face masks, lined up in disorderly fashion to access the documents needed to get married regularly.
The whole world is country, you know. In a statement made to the press, Chancellor Mary Njuya said that she had registered too many users in front of the office in charge, who did not respect at all the guidelines established by the Ministry of Health.
"As a result - explained Njuya - the office has temporarily suspended all matrimonial services with the intention of developing a clear roadmap on the reopening in an organized manner and to further ensure the adoption of safety measures in the workplace.
Apologizing for the inconvenience caused to citizens, the General Prosecutor's Office assured that work is being done at all levels to ensure that the provision of services such as this can resume as soon as possible.
The problem is not only the registration, but it is the same celebrations that often see more participants than the 15 allowed by the emergency regulations and without respect for social distances. Traditional gatherings such as weddings and funerals in Africa are among the main causes of the spread of the pandemic.
Already in recent months, many couples who had planned to get married this year have been forced to postpone or cancel their ceremony. Others who were looking forward to starting their lives together have adapted to holding small ceremonies in church, with a limited number of guests and live streaming for their family and friends.
Couples trying to save their coronavirus-ridden wedding plans are fueling a new trend in the bridal industry called "Minimony".
Rather than wait, they marry alone or with a loved one watching from a safe distance while other guests virtually join in.
Among the people fined in April in the country there are also several couples who have transgressed by getting married and celebrating with many friends and relatives or even someone who got married secretly but whose celebrations went on beyond the evening curfew.