Why Atheists want Kenyans to embrace two-year marriage contracts

Would you consider entering into a marriage on temporary terms as opposed to the well-known ‘till death do us part’ trend?

Atheists in Kenya Society are now calling on Kenyans to embrace marriages which can be renewed or dissolved after two years based on whether it works or not.

The society in a statement on Tuesday said it was time for Kenyans to rethink the ‘until death do us part’ marriage arrangements.

“We encourage Kenyans to embrace renewable marriage contracts lasting two years that lay out the marital duties, housekeeping, finances, childcare, shows of affection for each party,” it said in a statement.

“Each partner will commit to that contract during the two years. At the end of the two years, the couple can choose to renew their agreement, adjust its terms or dissolve their marriage.” 

The society noted that, unlike life-long commitments, renewable marriages would make it easy for couples to go separate ways without having to undergo the lengthy and messy divorce processes.

“Rather than staying in marriage ‘until death’, renewable marriages would allow partners to tweak their marital contract accordingly, or agree that it is beyond tweaking and end it without the shock or drama of a contentious divorce lingering doubts about what went wrong,” it noted.

It said it is time for brides and grooms to be to define their goals and expectations in marriage contracts if they want to be happy.

In November, the society also advised Kenyans with low incomes to have smaller families citing harsh economic times.

In a statement, the organisation said Kenyans with little income should have smaller families of two children at most.

It said the cost of living has been rising steadily over the past few years and continues to strain people’s finances, with many Kenyans struggling to afford even the most basic household items.

“We applaud all those women who have chosen to be child-free,” said Harrison Mumia, Atheists in Kenya Society president.

Mumia further encouraged Kenyans who can afford to adopt children.

“Adoption of children should be an alternative to getting one's child,” he said.

He added that smaller families are more financially stable due to fewer expenses and shared resources.