UKWELI MTUPU! Why Celebrity Marriages in Kenya Don't Work

Piece by: Kwarula Otieno
Lifestyle

Even after the expensive vacations and a high-profile wedding like Kim Kardashian's, after a few candlelit dinners and movie nights, everything seems to fizzle out for Kenyan celebrity couples. Why aren't the relationships working?

Most celebrity marriages in Kenya have ended in snafus, and there are more that are on the verge of breaking down.

Over the past few days, there have been rumors flying around indicating that newlyweds Dennis Okari and Betty Kyalo are breaking up. Even though the couple refuted the claims, there seems to be a big problem with celebrity marriages in Kenya, and that's what we want to find out.

First of all, celebrities get into relationships for different reasons. Some do it for the cameras, while others aim for their own personal winnings. Whatever the reason is, we will take photos of you both at events and call you a couple.

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According to Style Caster, here are some of the reasons why celebrity marriages rarely work, and it's the same thing everywhere:

1. Ego — If you’re both high-profile, you’re going to be constantly fighting for the limelight. Get over it — marriage is all about concessions, and at some point, one of you is going to have to ride in the backseat for a while. Reese Witherspoon totally got this. That’s why she ditched dating actors and married an agent instead.

2. Money — It’s the root of most problems in marriages, so why would celebrities be any different? If your wedding planning starts to resemble a board meeting, you’re already in trouble. Stop selling your pictures, agreeing to TV shows and putting your relationship on blast via Twitter and Facebook.

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3. Travel — The most successful Hollywood relationships are the ones where the other partner takes time off work to ensure they are always together. Come on, what’s 5 mil when you’re worth 20? Again, your relationship should be your number one priority — NOT your career.

4. Rumours — Every actor or actress I’ve ever met is insecure about something, so it only stands to reason a bunch of tabloid rumors are going to take an already shaky marriage straight to divorce court.

5. Pressure — Your fans want you to get married, your agent thinks it will raise your profile and your mom is sick and tired of bugging you about babies. So you do, and then disaster strikes. For every couple that rushed down the aisle, there’s a couple that have lived together for over 20 years without the benefit of a marriage licence and have a stronger relationship because of it.

6. Priorities — Think hard: Can you actually name-drop a married star who uses the term “we” more than “I?” Fundamentally, marriage means what you want becomes what you and your spouse want — a hard pill to swallow when you’re used to being in control all the time. Suddenly you can’t just jet off to Vegas for a weekend with your friends or spend 10K on a pair of boots just because. When you’re the centre of YOUR world, it’s not easy to take a step back and let someone else have a major stake in your life.

My advice? Stop trying to rush things and take it slow.

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