A 72-year-old man in Kenya has suffered a blow in his bid to get the bulk of his daughter’s dowry after a court dissolved his marriage after he deserted his family for 27 years.

Joel Lagat Maina had demanded 30 bags of maize, six cows and 15, 000 Kenyan Shillings as his daughter’s bride price.

However, Senior Resident Magistrate Yvone Khatambi ruled that Lagat’s marriage to his 65-year-old wife Joyce Chemutai was irretrievably broken down.

“The marriage between the petitioner and the respondent celebrated on January 31, 1992, is hereby dissolved. The issue of dowry refund was raised in his submission and, as a consequence, the same must fail,” Khatambi ruled.

She further noted the plea by Lagat to be given a share of the bride price was not properly made before court and was dismissed on technicalities.

The case was filed in October 2018 by Chemutai, who sought to block Lagat from demanding a share of the bride price. The couple reportedly got married in 1992 and was blessed with a daughter, whose marriage is the subject of the court case.

Chemutai said she decided to leave her matrimonial home in 1998 after her husband became cruel while denying her conjugal rights since 1994.

He later married another woman and after the separation, he never bothered about the family nor provided for them. According to Langat, Chemutai cut all communication after moving in with another man.