Kwale: 270 Muslim couples tie knot in mass wedding

A couple that took part in a mass wedding ceremony in Kwale Baraza Park/KNA

Some 270 Muslim couples got married in a mass wedding ceremony in Kwale town to help combat the high rates of divorce and births outside wedlock.

The colorful religious wedding was held at the Kwale Baraza Park and was organized by the Kassim Tandaza Foundation, which is run by Matuga MP Kassim Tandaza, to help newlyweds who cannot afford to finance their own wedding ceremonies.

One of the grooms was married his first and second wife at the same ceremony, as Islamic beliefs allows for up to four wives.

The combined wedding ceremony with the couples fully dressed in Islamic attire comes at a time when Muslims around the globe are preparing to begin fasting from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadan.

This year the holy month is expected to begin March 1, 2025, depending on the moon sighting, and if it happens on March 1, it would be a rare celestial event. The first day of the Islamic holy month will coincide with March 1, a phenomenon that occurs roughly every 33 years.

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the Muslim declaration of faith, five daily prayers, giving Zakah (charity), and performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The start of Ramadan, the ninth and holiest month in the Islamic calendar, is determined by the sighting of a new moon, and in the Muslim world, all eyes will be set on the heavens next week to see the Ramadan moon.

The Muslim couples who underwent Nikkah (a Muslim marriage contract between a man and a woman) shared their joy at the mass ceremony where they also received gifts and support to help them establish stable families.

Nikkah is a religious ceremony that legalizes the couple's union under Islamic law. The word "nikkah" literally means "union."

Chief Kadhi Sheikh Abdulhalim Hussein Athman, who officiated the colourful religious ceremony welcomed the mass marriage initiative, stating that it is a way for wedding bachelors who cannot afford the cost of individual marriage ceremonies

Sheikh Athman, while joining the couples in holy matrimony, disclosed that until a couple is joined together in marriage, they are considered to be cohabiting, which is wrong according to Islam as a religion.

The religious leader-cum-judicial officer said it is wrong for couples to cohabit in the name of hard economic times and urged Muslim scholars and parents to encourage their children to do what is right.

“This is a noble initiative to help young couples who cannot afford to host their own wedding celebrations,” said Sheikh Athman.

He emphasized that marriage is meant for prepared adults who should be committed to a lifetime of love and companionship.

Sheikh Athman further emphasized that the mass weddings address a crucial need for people in financial difficulties by offering ceremonies that are legally sound, religiously valid, and at no cost.

“We hope such marriage arrangements will serve as an example to other leaders and sponsors in helping couples to wed,” he said.

The Chief Kadhi said in Kenya about 15,000 Muslim couples tie the knot annually, but in the same breath, he decried that divorce is also becoming rampant.

For Muslims, divorce can be enacted either through a petition through the Kadhi courts, or through 'Talak', which is the husband's right to end the marriage by pronouncing that he is divorcing the wife.

The mass wedding guests included Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani, MPs Kassim Tandaza (Matuga), Feisal Bader (Msambweni) Omar Mwinyi (Changamwe), and Kwale Women Rep Fatuma Masito.

The leaders present emphasized the importance of marriage as the foundation of a strong society and called for unity, respect and cooperation among families.

CS Mvurya says the mass wedding initiative aligns with Islamic cultural values and serves a significant social purpose among the Muslim community by easing financial burden for couples.

The CS thanked the Kassim Tandaza Foundation as one that is deeply concerned with the welfare of the people noting that it was very helpful for young couples who cannot afford to host their own wedding celebrations.

MP Tandaza said the mass wedding programme was an annual event organized by Kassim Tandaza Foundation to celebrate newlyweds in the coastal county of Kwale.

He said it’s usually held a week before the holy fasting Muslim month of Ramadhan to allow couples to celebrate joyfully.

“This is the fifth edition of the annual event that seeks to reduce the cost of weddings for qualified brides and grooms,” he said.

He said the mass wedding ceremony was meant to encourage young people to start families by helping them avoid the high costs of getting married.

Tanzada says his foundation is committed to the initiative of mass weddings in a bid to curb illicit love affairs and help financially struggling couples get married or find new spouses.

The mass weddings ahead of Ramadhan seeks to help couples formalize their marriages and can help people get married and gain social status