Retired Chief Dickson Mwasaru Mwanyumba, at 82, felt the need for companionship after mourning his late wife.
Eager to remarry, he thought it would be a smooth journey towards love and companionship in his golden years.
However, life had other plans, turning his path into a thorny matrimonial maze.
Mwanyumba was once a formidable figure as an Assistant Chief in Voi, Taita-Taveta.
He sought to marry Purity Mbala Manjala, the love of his life, in a church ceremony.
But his eight children opposed this union vehemently, citing inheritance concerns.
Last year, the planned wedding in Voi hit a roadblock when his children claimed he hadn’t consulted them about his remarriage decision.
They viewed the wedding as a plot to disinherit them, a sham to put their rightful shares at risk.
Mwasaru, speaking on behalf of his siblings, declared their unwavering stance against their father’s second marriage.
They believed it would jeopardize their inheritance since their stepmother had children from a prior relationship.
Despite their father’s attempts to reassure them by sharing his will as beneficiaries and obtaining the blessings of Purity’s parents through a traditional wedding, the opposition persisted.
Mwasaru insisted they had blocked the wedding due to their father’s secrecy and refusal to involve them in the marriage plans.
They accused Purity and her children of having ulterior motives, solely interested in seizing family property.
The family feud escalated as Mwasaru warned their stepmother and her children.
Given they were not sired by their father, they had no right to any inheritance.
He deemed it unjust and a threat to their peace.
Mwanyumba, concerned about his wife’s future if he were to pass away without formalizing their union, feared she’d be left with nothing.
His wealth, including residential plots and farms, exacerbated the situation.
Compounding his woes, he alleged bureaucratic obstacles at the Registrar of Marriages office in Voi.
Despite paying a notice fee, the wedding remained elusive, prompting him to start the process anew.
Mwanyumba emphasized that there was no legal provision to halt his pursuit of legitimizing his marriage.
In his twilight years, he faced a challenging journey to unite with his beloved, battling familial opposition and bureaucratic red tape.
