A Kenyan couple in their 90s tied the knot over the weekend after courting for 64 years. Per Citizen Digital, the white wedding ceremony between Ibrahim Mbogo, 95, and his 90-year-old lover Tabitha Wangui Mbogo took place at the Tambaya PCEA Church in Mukurweini on Sunday.
The couple informed the media that they decided to have a white wedding to symbolize the unconditional love and commitment they have for each other. Mr. Mbogo stated that though they initially had a Kikuyu customary wedding after they met and fell in love in the 1960s, they decided to have holy matrimony because of their Christian faith.
“We met and fell in love in 1960, do you hear?” Mr. Mbogo said in an interview outside the church. “We deliberated together and decided it would be great if we did a white wedding, we know in our Gikuyu custom that we are legally married, but since we are also Christians, we decided to do a church wedding.”
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Mr. Mbogo also touched on the secret to having a long and problem-free marriage. “Women, you must respect your husbands, If you do that, then you will live as we have,” he told the news outlet. “Don’t do any wrong, and when you do, just apologise and seek forgiveness.”
The couple’s wedding ceremony was attended by guests including Mukurwe-ini MP John Kaguchia. He encouraged people to “emulate what this couple has shown us today, that it is beautiful to grow old together.”
“There is no greater gift than the gift of family,” the MP also said. “This family unit is what makes a nation thrive.”
In July, Face2Face Africa similarly reported that a Nigerian couple from the Northern city of Kano, known as the country’s “divorce capital,” were celebrated for their 50-year marriage. Mahmud Kabir Yakasai and Rabiatu Tahir shared the secrets to their lasting happiness in a BBC interview, attributing their success to Tahir’s generous nature.
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A video of the interview sparked widespread discussion about marriage in the region. “She is a very unselfish person and she overlooks a lot which has contributed to the success of our marriage,” 76-year-old Yakasai told BBC Hausa.
With a smile, Tahir, in her late sixties, praised her husband’s calm demeanor amid family challenges. “He is a very patient man and I feel that was also key to our success,” she said.
