More than half of Muslim mothers are divorcees -Kadhi reports

Muslim marriages are now notwithstanding due to an alarming divorce rate. It's now estimated that more than half of Muslim mothers are divorced in Kenya.

On October 26, Royal Media channel Citizen TV did a news brief on divorce rates in Lamu. They reported that 60 percent of marriages in Lamu end in divorce same as Mombasa and Kwale.

In a year (between 2018 and 2019), the Kadhi of Lamu conducted 46 marriages, of which 42 had ended in divorce by the time the report aired.

Kadhi of Mombasa conducted 108 Marriages the same year and 90 Marriages ended up in a divorce.

Kadhi of Kwale conducted 75 Marriages and 50 ended up in a divorce. The divorce rate among the Muslim community is alarming and needs quick intervention.

These statistics are not only reflective of the tiny island, Mombasa, and Kwale alone but of the present marriage and divorce statistics in the Muslim community as a whole.

The rate of divorce in Muslim marriages is at an all-time high. Although men can divorce their wives, or the couple can mutually decide to go their own separate ways, women are also allowed to seek divorce through a judicial decree.

This means that if a woman feels suppressed in her marriage and that her husband would not give her a divorce, then she can seek a divorce directly from the Kadhi’s court, even if the husband is unwilling to divorce her.


Women divorce type is steadfastly becoming the most common type of divorce in Islamic marriages. In Mombasa, a report published by the Chief Kadhi’s court showed that women filed 99 percent of divorce cases.


The most common reasons for women seeking divorce include unfaithfulness, desertion, and lack of provision by the husband.

Common examples of lack of provision in the families are contributed by chewing Mogokaa, Miraa, Foods, drugs among others.

Common examples of unfaithfulness and desertion are contributed by eroded culture, family setup and economy.