Register our marriage in kenya

Hi my name is peter i am british my wife is kenyan we married in nigeria , i have been told i need to register our  marriage in kenya , i contacted a lawyer who says this now costs 120000.00 (one hundred 20 thousand shillings) this is an absurb price just to register  is this correct please ??

peter

Is your marriage recognised outside Nigeria, in Britain for example?  I married my Kenyan wife in Britain.  Our marriage is recognised here, using our UK marriage certificate. 

If I didn't know better, I would suspect a scam, particularly given the amount being quoted.

Dear Peter,
From the legal perspective your marriage in Nigeria is valid in Kenya as long as you conformed to all requirements in accordance to the laws of Nigeria. This is usually called conflict of laws. However, if you so wish to have a marriage certificate in Kenya you could visit the office of the Attorney General and do another wedding which will not be expensive. However note that all your documents have to be Notarized.

Recognition of foreign marriages as Christian marriages in Kenya
marriages celebrated outside Kenya may be recognized as a christian marriage in Kenya if  it was contracted according to the laws of the country of celebration and is consistent with provisions on christian marriages under the Act    at time of marriage, parties had capacity to marry under law of country where marriage was celebrated or     both parties had the capacity to marry, if at the time of the marriage any party to the marriage was domiciled in Kenya Christian marriages at embassies, high commissions or consulate in Kenya   Marriages at the embassy, high commission or consulate of a foreign country in Kenya is a christian marriage where–
    it's in accordance with that foreign country's law on christian marriages
    parties had capacity to marry under that foreign country's law or
    both parties had the capacity to marry, if at the time of the marriage any party to the marriage was domiciled in Kenya

Hope this helps. you can send me a message if you need further clarification or help.

Hi Peter!

I would propose that you send your wife to visit Sheria House so as to get accurate information. Most of the information available is not 'formal' and at times, small changes are made, which could make a big difference. Visiting the office will provide you with more accurate information. If possible, get it printed out or take a picture of the requirements indicated. Things in that office do get complicated at times.

thanks guys  very much appreciated  i do feel the same he is trying it on

i will be contacting the law society about him then i name and shame

Dear Peter,
The law allows lawyers to agree with the clients on the fees they charge. The remuneration order only provides for the minimum fees and thus any lawyer can charge to his own discretion an amount he deems fit. Unless you can proof that he actually took the money from you then you cannot get any assistance from the Law Society.

Also note that naming and shamming would expose you to defamation cases which am sure you wouldn't want.

Regards.

yes i am aware thankyou for you reply

I really don't think that this is something for which you need to engage a lawyer. 

I hope that you hadn't paid Ksh 120,000.  I also don't think that going to the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) will help you.  For one thing, if you paid the lawyer Ksh 120,000, then that would constitute an agreement between you.  Additionally we had a bad experience with a lawyer who acted unprofessionally.  On complaining, we found that LSK appeared more interested in closing ranks, than dealing appropriately with the lawyer, so for those reasons I would recommend that you just move on.

I find that Lawyers in Kenya charge outrageous prices for doing relatively simple jobs - far more than I would have paid in the UK, so we only use them with extreme discretion.

Its best to come to Kenya and sort this out in person.  If you hire someone while you are out of the country, you will almost certainly be overcharged.