A man in Isiolo county will have to pay his wife’s bride price even after their divorce, a court has ruled.
The 61-year-old only identified by the court by initials AHA was found guilty of mistreating the wife identified as SMH by the Kadhi’s Court on Friday.
In his judgement, Principal Kadhi Abdulrahman Athman granted SMH her divorce application, while ordering the defendant to pay two cows to the woman.
The court dismissed the defendant’s excuses, including his claim that he was denied his conjugal rights which led to him deserting the mother of his 11 children three years ago.
Justice Athman ruled that the differences between the two are irreconcilable, after the defendant admitted having subjected her to mistreatment.
“The plaintiff (woman) has proven her case on the balance of probability, the required standard in civil matters, of existence of irreconcilable differences. Her witness and defendant’s admission of mistreatment and assaulting proves this as a fact,” the Judge is quoted by the Standard.
The two married in 1991, the woman being only 17 years old at the time, in a wedding that was witnessed by a Chief in Merti, the woman’s home.
He was, however, yet to pay the bride price 27 years down the line.
The defendant opposed the allegations, claiming that he is not a Muslim and cannot be judged under the Muslim law, adding that all the allegations are engineered by the woman’s family in a bid to break their marriage.
He was also ordered to provide upkeep for their two youngest children who the court placed under the care of the plaintiff, Justice Athman adding that he is also to pay their school fees.
#Bizarre