Thika couple exchange vows despite Covid-19 cutbacks
Mathew Ndung’u and Githinji Mwangi
When Kennedy Mureithi and his bride Pauline Waithera started their wedding plans in August 2019, they envisioned a magnificent ceremony that would be graced by all their families and friends.
They had planned to hold a splendid ceremony, until Covid 19 threw a curve ball at their plans.
Also Read:
However, the wedding that happened at ACK St Andrew's Church in Thika, Kiambu county, on Monday was attended by less than 15 people and took less than 30 minutes.
According to Mureithi, change of plans happened about three weeks ago when the adverse effects of the coronavirus disease started being felt in the country.
Mureithi however said that they could not postpone the wedding, as doing so was equivalent to breaking their covenant with God.
“There is no way we could have postponed the ceremony as that could have left us at war with God,” he told journalists after the ceremony.
Waithera, who termed the event as “the best ever and unique”, said they would not go on honeymoon.
“This was the best wedding. I feel my desire fulfilled and I could not expect more.
We will not be going for honeymoon, as that is currently against the directives issued by the government. We will proceed to our home,” she said.
Yesterday, empty seats across the 1,000-capacity church painted a grim picture of the magnitude of the social distancing rules.
Lockdown effects
Among those present were four members of the clergy, both parents of the bride, representative parents of the groom, a handful of other family members and friends who were ferried in five low-end vehicles.
The bride’s parents were unable to get a permit allowing them to travel to Thika, which is currently under a 21-day lockdown. They followed proceedings on Facebook.
The groom’s parents Julius Kamau and Margaret Waweru also watched the event via Facebook.
“I’m happy that technology has enabled us to follow the proceedings. We felt as if we were part of the congregation. I pray that God blesses the newlyweds,” said Waweru.
Attendees were put under strict guidelines and were required to stay two metres away from each other, wear face masks and sanitise before they got into the church.
Mureithi said the wedding cost them less than Sh20,000. Rev Peter Mwangi, who represented the groom’s father, said the event met the normal wedding threshold and urged potential couples to consider similar occasions to save on cost.
