A children's court has ordered divorced parents to equally share the costs of maintaining their children, including school fees, medical care and other basic needs, in a landmark ruling that is likely to cause debate across the country.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The Children's court in Bungoma on August 20 issued the orders after one parent, the mother, petitioned the court seeking to have the father pay for everything.

However, in its ruling, the court ordered both parents to make equal contributions towards the children's upkeep and general maintenance pending the hearing and determination of the main case.

The court further directed the two parents to equally cater for the children's school fees and school-related expenses at their current schools until the conclusion of the current academic year.

📌 What You Need to Know

"The Plaintiff/Applicant and the Defendant/Respondent to equally contribute towards the children's upkeep and general maintenance in the interim," the judge ruled.

After the academic year, the parents have been directed to sit down and agree on schools for the children based on the children's educational needs and what the father can afford.

According to the court, if the parents fail to agree on the schools, the father would be allowed to pay an amount equivalent to what he previously spent on the children's education in the public schools from which they had been transferred, with the mother meeting any balance arising from the cost of the new schools.

"In the event the parties herein fail to agree on the choice of the children's schools as contemplated in (c) above, the Defendant/Respondent will be at liberty to pay the children's school fees and school-related expenses equivalent to the amount of money he used to spend in the public schools the children were transferred from by the Plaintiff/Applicant with the Plaintiff/Applicant paying the balance, if any," the judge stated.

The ruling also addressed the children's custody . It ordered that the existing physical custody arrangement be maintained until the main case is determined.

However, both parents were granted equal legal custody of the children, meaning they will both have the right to participate in major decisions concerning the children, including matters relating to education, religion and medical care.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke