Two Kenyan men wed in London

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/673614/-/uo10l1/-/

Two Kenyan men wed in London

Two Kenyan men on Saturday became the first gay couple to wed in London. Charles Ngengi, 40 and his bride, Daniel Chege Gichia, 39, became civil partners under the controversial Civil Partnership Act which came into effect in the UK in 2005 allowing couples of the same sex to have legal recognition of their relationship.






The couple tied the knot at a civil partnership ceremony at Islington Town Hall in North London at 11.30 a.m. UK time. According to the Act, a civil partnership is defined as a legal marriage between gay and lesbian couples, and any couples who enter into a civil partnership obtain the new legal status of civil partners, instead of the traditional husband and wife status.

The 30-minute ceremony witnessed by 50 guests was conducted by the registrar of marriages at Islington Council. Both Ngengi and Chege clad in matching cream suits and black shoes, arrived at Islington Council Town Hall shortly before 11 a.m. driven by a close friend in a Volvo car.

After taking the vows witnessed by two close associates, the registrar said: “It gives me great pleasure to officially pronounce you couple civil partners”. The couple kissed passionately amid deafening applause from the congregation gathered to witness the reunion.

As curious guests scrambled to have a glimpse of the newly weds’ the couple took turns to sign registration documents under the supervision of the registrar. Unlike in ordinary civil marriages, no form of religious activity is allowed to occur during the process of registering the civil partnership.

Among the guests at the controversial nuptials included Chege’s former British husband’ David Cleaves, Julius Reuben, a top Tanzanian gay model, a cross-section of the couple’s close associates mainly drawn from diverse gay and lesbian communities in London as well-wishers among Kenyan residents in London.

Conspicuously absent from the closely guarded ceremony were family members of both men. After the ceremony, the couple and their guests drove to nearby Alexandra Palace where they posed for their wedding pictures. A lavish civil partnership reception was planned at Safari Bar in North Finchley in North London.

But despite the fun and the glamour accompanying the unusual wedding’ not everyone is raising a glass to the happy couple. The marriage has raised a storm among Kenyan residents in the UK who have described it as ‘unnatural and socially unacceptable’.

Sources close to the couple told the Nation in London on Saturday that despite widespread condemnations, the couple was ‘happy and very much in love’. “Chege and Ngengi are in love, and they have decided to ‘publicly declare their love’ within the legal framework of this country,” said a source who sought anonymity.

Another Kenyan said: “It time the Kenyan community woke up to reality, some of us are gay; Kenyans have to get over it.” Last weekend, Chege, who is openly gay and well known among Kenyan migrant community in the UK, was spotted wearing an engagement ring at an upmarket London social function accompanied by Ngengi.

On July 30, the couple was photographed together for the first time in public, along with David Cleaves at Invest in Africa Build Africa – Kenyan Housing Expo held at the Holiday Inn, Regent Park in London.

Pictures of the three men dining among guests at a lavish dinner hosted by Realken International Ltd in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and the Kenya High Commission in London, which was attend by Soita ****anda, the minister for housing, and Joseph Muchemi, Kenya High Commissioner in the UK, were posted on a popular London Kenyan website, www.misterseed.com.

Ngengi, who arrived in London from Nairobi in mid-June, had a long-distance relationship with Chege. Sources said the couple are familiar faces in many gay spots in Nairobi. Chege, an auxiliary nurse at a North London hospital, arrived in London in the mid 1990s from his rural village of Gaturi in Murang’a district.

After settling in London, he met and befriended Cleaves at a London gay bar before moving to his affluent Crouch End residence on Cardinal Way, which they renamed Gaturi Towers. Chege enjoyed a long-term openly gay relationship with Cleaves,65, a former printer and a married father of two grown-up children.

In August 2000, the couple made headlines in Kenya after a local daily newspaper published details of their intimate bizarre relationship. Pictures of Chege and Cleaves attending the 2000 Mardi Gras - Gay and Lesbian festival in London stunned Kenyans in a front page story headlined Murang’a boy and his British husband.

[abeyance]

alternative news

The wedding has been the talk of the week in London among the Kenyan communities. The wedding of Mr. Daniel Chege Gichia, 39, who wed Charles Ngengi, 40, in London on Saturday 17th October, 2009. It is the first Kenyan gay wedding in the UK where both partners are from Kenyans. A team of about 20 people including the guests arrived at at Islington Council Registry Office, Islington Town Hall, North London at 11.30 am. The bridal party consisted of two Kenyan ladies and two Kenyan men of which one had flown from Holland for the wedding. There was very strict instructions about the press. The press people were denied entry to the registrar's office and even afterwards there was a heated argument press men where the bridal party insisted that the press men should leave but they had no power to do so as it was in a public place. After the wedding a reception ceremony followed in North London at Safari Bar, 975 High Road, North Finchley. About 100 guests attended the reception. There was tension at the reception as some of the security team evicted some cameramen fearing that the news and photos would land into Kenya newspapers. Among the guests who attended the wedding was a old Kenyan lady currently visiting UK who was escorted by her three daughters to the wedding. After witnessing what was happening the old lady had this to say: "Ngai ûroigire ûndehe rûraya nyone maûndû moru ta maya itanakua. Nîkî hihi? Kana nîkio airîtu aya aitû maraga athuri? (How come God allowed me to come over to the UK to see such things. Why? Is this what is causing our girls not to marry?) "the disappointed lady commented.

[pappilo]

And you think deserves to be posted in the Villagesquare? This is 2009 mate and have you heard of live and lets live. If people want to be gay, let them be gay. As long as their actions have no negative effect on you, abeg free them.

[HolyPagan]

Originally Posted by pappilo

and you think deserves to be posted in the villagesquare? This is 2009 mate and have you heard of live and lets live. If people want to be gay, let them be gay. As long as their actions have no negative effect on you, abeg free them.

thank you.very very much

[heart-thief]

*Runs out to throw up*

[abeyance]

Originally Posted by pappilo

And you think deserves to be posted in the Villagesquare? This is 2009 mate and have you heard of live and lets live. If people want to be gay, let them be gay. As long as their actions have no negative effect on you, abeg free them.

The post is a celebration of the Freedom of choice that the western world gives everyone. There was no attempt at gay bashing. So i don't get your point.

[Iye]

What’s in Kenya water…….if its not parading couples naked today its gay marriage tomorrow……why are they in the news for all the wrong reasons……

[Iye]

Originally Posted by abeyance

alternative news

Is this what is causing our girls not to marry?.

I gree with mama oooh….we are complaining men are not enough to go round…yet the few are ones are busy pairing up…....come to think of it, those guys above cannot be said to be men anymore, so they can stay together....wish them happy married live.

[pappilo]

Originally Posted by abeyance

The post is a celebration of the Freedom of choice that the western world gives everyone. There was no attempt at gay bashing. So i don't get your point.

My bad.... I thought it was the usual 'ara adugbo e wa won nkan' posts that we see on NVS from time to time.

[Bunch17]

Good morning!

[lateesha]

Chineke God!
lilold is now a card carrying member?

[Balo]

Looks like there was war here that I missed. Abeg what happened to my post?

[lateesha]

Is the bride carrying a bouquet of flowers or what?
wonders shall never end

[Bunch17]

Originally Posted by Balo

Looks like there was war here that I missed. Abeg what happened to my post?

Collateral damage!

[Balo]

Originally Posted by Bunch17

Collateral damage!

Na wa o, I managed to log on for less than 5 mins bout a couple of hours ago, made a post and quoted Auspy - I never even begin read Abeyance story sef. Na so I come back and I no see my post again.

[Iye]

I swear magic is happening on this tread oooh……..I minute I don’t see my post another minute I see half of them…..abi I put Iye on ignore list, or its a case of...... plus shaft and wheat to the garbage dumb

[Oluwato]

I have a quick question; how are they called, I mean who is Mr and who is Mrs, or is there another term for gay couples?

[Rose]

Originally Posted by Oluwato

I have a quick question; how are they called, I mean who is Mr and who is Mrs, or is there another term for gay couples?

When speaking to others they probably refer to their spouse as my "husband". I was nearly floored when I overheard a conversation and this woman referred to partner as my "wife". However, you can tell from the photo which one wears the dress in the relationship.

[valteena]

Originally Posted by Rose

When speaking to others they probably refer to their spouse as my "husband". I was nearly floored when I overheard a conversation and this woman referred to partner as my "wife". However, you can tell from the photo which one wears the dress in the relationship.

Rose which one is it? pls tell as I can't figure out which one is the mrs.

[Rose]

Originally Posted by valteena

Rose which one is it? pls tell as I can't figure out which one is the mrs.

Look who's holding the bouquet and seems the "sweetest".