All was set for the wedding between Benjamin Malonza and Faith Nthoki Mutua. Guests had started flocking African Inland Church (AIC) in Kikima, Mbooni, the wedding’s venue.
Meanwhile, Faith was busy putting final touches on her make-up. This was Saturday.
It was such a refreshing moment for the couple, the families and friends after months of planning.
However, to the disappointment of everyone, a man, said to be Faith’s former husband, obtained court orders stopping the nuptials.
A man identified as Mwavu Kaleli, and reportedly sent by Makindu Law Court, delivered a court order to the church, forcing the officiating minister to call off the wedding.
Guests were barred from accessing the wedding venue and those who had arrived ordered out by a contingent of police officers.
The Reverend Samuel Mwania informed guests that the wedding had been cancelled until a case in court could be heard and determined.
“The court order shows a man who claims to be the ex-husband to the bride went to Makindu Law Courts on April, 25, 2019 with an intention of stopping our wedding and an order was granted and which has been served to us today,” said a distraught Malonza.
“However, my name does not appear in the court papers. The person indicated there is Benjamin Matata. I don’t have an idea who he is, but we have called off the wedding nevertheless to avoid problems and wait for the truth to come out,” Malonza told The Standard.
Elders intervened to have the wedding go on as planned but their efforts yielded nothing.
Malonza wondered why his fiancée’s alleged husband had to wait until the wedding day to serve them the court order.
He said their wedding was announced at his bride’s church at AIC Kaseveni in Makueni sub-county and his home church at Isyukoni in Mbooni sub-county several times, as required by the law, but no one opposed it.
“We made several announcements before going to the office of the Attorney General for a wedding notification. This complaint is horrid,” said Malonza, an electronics engineer.
He added: “This is malicious. Why would he serve us the court papers on the wedding day? We had already done everything - we had made all the bookings and guests invited. About Sh2 million has gone into the wedding.”
The complainant was identified as Jackson Muthoka, a military police officer.
He is said to have paid the bride’s school fees at Kenya Medical Training College, where she studied nursing. In return, Muthoka was to marry her as a second wife.
Indeed, they reportedly got married under the customary laws, and Faith bore him a daughter. They later parted ways.
Shortly after the drama, the bride, who was ready for the wedding, registered her frustrations on Facebook then switched off her phone.
Malonza, 35, was also said to have been married before and had a child. He, however, distanced himself from the claims. He said he had “sorted out all my issues” before planning the wedding with Faith.
They will appear in court on May 3.