The National Assembly and a woman have asked the High Court to dismiss a case in which a man claims it is illegal for Catholics to divorce under secular law.

The man, identified by the initials PKG, is suing the Attorney General, the National Assembly, his estranged wife (identified as MWW), and the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops. He argues that the Marriage Act 2014 should not apply to him, as he is a Catholic whose marriage, according to his faith, can only be dissolved by mutual consent or death.

“Section 65 of the Marriage Act 2014 allows for divorce without mutual consent between parties who have entered into a marriage by vows. This encourages blatant violation of such vows and thus undermines the national value of integrity, rendering it null and void,” PKG argues.