Mr and Mrs Clay Onyango’s first wedding anniversary will be held at Albyskolan on Saturday 12th August 2006 from 18.00. There will be free entrance, free drinks and free food. Envelopes will be available to be “stuffed” by enthusiasts who want to show solidarity.
Mr. and Mrs Clay got married last August at a fantastic wedding that many Kenyan observers believe “broke the record of opulence” at Kenyan weddings. Clay’s wedding was the third public wedding by a Kenyan in Stockholm in the last two decades. This is in sharp contrast to the situation among Kenyans in London where weddings are almost a weekly occurrence. Part of the explanation could be that the population of Kenyans in Sweden is very small – about 3,000 while the huge amount of cash involved in the operation is inhibitive.
In 2001, Mr. and Mrs Laban Mberi pioneered public weddings followed by Mr. and Mrs Tarus Mbugua in 2004. Before and after Clay, there are Kenyans who have preferred to organize public weddings in Kenya before returning to Sweden to continue with their lives. This was the case with “Doctor” and Shelo.
Many Kenyans who have been getting married in Stockholm prefer quiet, closed and private functions where invitations are tightly controlled. This has been especially so with Kenyans married to white Swedish nationals known for their conservatism in a society where weddings and funerals are semi confidential retreats. Only a clique of carefully hand picked contacts and close pals are normally welcome at such functions.
Now that Clay has organized an anniversary where everything will be free, it can be accurate to say that he has become a “pioneer” in wedding anniversary celebrations among Kenyans in Stockholm. Kenya Stockholm Blog sends Clay and Family sincere congratulations on the occasion of their first wedding anniversary.
Okoth Osewe
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