Register an existing Hindu marriage under the Marriage Act
Registrar of Marriages · sources read 2 Oct 2026
If you married under Hindu rites under the old Hindu Marriage and Divorce Act (Cap 157), apply on eCitizen with your Hindu Council or Sikh Supreme Council papers. Both of you then attend an interview with the Registrar, pay KSh 3,900, and get the certificate within 14 days.
- Fee
- KSh 3,900Registration of an existing Hindu marriage
- How long
- Within 14 days of paying
- Where
- Online on eCitizen (Registrar of Marriages). Regional Registrar of Marriages offices: Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu, Malindi, Embu, Meru, Kisii and Machakos.
What you need
- A copy of your Cap 157 marriage certificate, certified by the Hindu Council or the Sikh Supreme Council
- A forwarding letter from the Hindu Council of Kenya or the Sikh Supreme Council
- A letter from the temple confirming the marriage took place
- Copies of your valid passports or national IDs
- Certificate of Registration as a Kenyan citizen, if you got citizenship by registration
- Indian passport holders: a Certificate of No Impediment or a letter of surrender of passport to the Indian High Commission
- One coloured passport photo each
Steps
- Get your old certificate certified and a forwarding letter from the Hindu Council of Kenya or the Sikh Supreme Council, plus a letter from the temple.
- Fill in the application on eCitizen and upload all the documents.
- Both of you book an appointment on eCitizen, then go to the Registrar of Marriages with your originals for an interview.
- Once approved, pay KSh 3,900 on eCitizen. The certificate follows within 14 days.
Watch out
- Both spouses must attend the interview in person, so plan a date you can both make.
- If either of you holds an Indian passport, get the Certificate of No Impediment or passport surrender letter sorted before you apply.
Who can apply
- Couples who professed the Hindu faith when they married, had a Hindu ceremony, and were married under the repealed Hindu Marriage and Divorce Act (Cap 157).
Official sources (3)
- Registration of New and Existing Marriages statelaw.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- Getting Married in Kenya statelaw.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- eCitizen ecitizen.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026