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Divorced parents in Bungoma have been directed to share the financial responsibility of raising their children, including education, healthcare and daily upkeep.
The Children’s Court issued the interim orders on August 20 while handling a case brought by the children’s mother.
The mother had asked the court to compel the father to meet the children’s expenses. However, the court rejected the request for one parent to shoulder the entire financial burden.
Instead, the judge directed both parents to contribute equally towards the children’s maintenance until the main case is determined.
Parents to Share School Costs
The court also ordered the parents to split school fees and other education-related expenses at the children’s current schools for the remainder of the academic year.
After the academic year ends, the parents must discuss and agree on suitable schools based on the children’s educational requirements and the father’s financial ability.
If they fail to reach an agreement, the father can pay an amount equivalent to what he previously spent on the children’s education at their former public schools.
The mother will then be responsible for any additional amount required by the schools they attend.
Both Parents Retain Legal Custody
The court maintained the existing physical custody arrangement while the main case proceeds.
However, both parents will have equal legal custody, giving each a role in important decisions concerning the children’s education, medical treatment and religious upbringing.
The orders reinforce the principle that parental responsibility does not end with divorce.
Rather than assigning financial responsibility to only the parent without physical custody, the court placed the obligation on both parents to contribute towards their children’s welfare.
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