This archive report was first published on 10 November 2019.
Published on November 10, 2019, a recent episode of the Diaspora Life Show by Chris Wamalwa, a US-based Kenyan journalist, shed light on the rising divorce rates among Kenyan couples in the diaspora community.
Many Kenyan couples immigrating to the United States struggle to cope with the demands of their new environment, leading to marital and family issues that often result in separation or bitter divorces.
Bishop Paul Kiilu of Gospel Lighthouse Ministry in Newark, Delaware, pointed out that working multiple shifts to make a living is a significant contributor to the increased cases of separation among Kenyan couples in the US.
"You will find that many couples don't spend time together as either the man or the woman is away looking for money, and the two only meet on the way in or out of the house. This is very common," said Bishop Kiilu.
Atlanta-based Kenyan, Maggie Marikah Kwabena, described the situation as worrying, estimating that the rate of divorce among Kenyan couples in the US is 6 out of 10.
Ohio-based scholar Justus Musyoka attributed the rise in divorce cases to the change in cultural environment, stating that immigrant couples lack the marital checks and balances that made their marriages work before they immigrated.
