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By Cantona Joseph April 09, 2026 07:41 (EAT)

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An AI-generated illustration depicts divorced couple in a court room. Photo: Gemini

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The High Court in Machakos has ruled that the law does not require couples to remain in marriages that cause emotional or psychological suffering, as it dissolved a long-standing union that had broken down.

In a judgment delivered on February 10, 2026, Justice Noel Adagi overturned an earlier decision that had denied a man divorce and instead granted judicial separation.

The court noted that marriages should not be preserved at the expense of the well-being of the spouses.

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“The law does not require spouses to endure emotional or psychological suffering in the name of preserving a marriage,” the judge observed, adding that courts should not force parties to remain in unions that no longer function.

The case began in 2021 when the husband filed for divorce, accusing his wife of cruelty, desertion, and adultery. He told the court that the marriage had become unbearable and that attempts to resolve their differences through family intervention had failed.

The wife, however, opposed the divorce and sought judicial separation, citing her religious beliefs. She denied the allegations and instead accused her husband of cruelty, claiming he had withdrawn from the marriage and denied her conjugal rights.

A lower court in 2023 dismissed the divorce petition, holding that the marriage could still be saved and granting the couple time apart to reflect.

But on appeal, the High Court found that the relationship had irretrievably broken down, noting that the couple had lived separately since 2020 and had not maintained a meaningful marital relationship for years.

Justice Adagi faulted the trial court for attempting to preserve a marriage that had clearly collapsed, stating that judicial separation is only appropriate where there is a realistic chance of reconciliation.

The court emphasized that once a marriage loses its core foundation, companionship, love, and mutual support, there is no legal basis to keep the parties bound together.

In allowing the appeal, the High Court set aside the lower court’s decision and granted the divorce, bringing an end to the marriage that was solemnized in 2003.

A decree nisi was issued and will become final after 30 days.

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