Dr Purity Ngina tied the knot with the love of her life, Germano Mugambi, on Friday. The academician, who earned her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Bio mathematics from Strathmore University last year July, says she is not impressed by the colour, razzmatazz, and flamboyance that have for long –characterized urban weddings in Kenya.
A Ksh350, 000 budget, a guest list of 42 people, a Ksh40, 000 wedding gown, a simple church setting at Kenyatta University, and a partner she has known for close to ten years now are all it took for Dr Purity Ngina to add the title wife to her profile.
She says Ksh350, 000 was “just enough” to hold the ceremony, including using a part of that money to visit her elderly grandmother in Nyeri. “My partner and I did not want to bother people with harambees, neither did we want to hold a big wedding in a bid to show off. Growing up, I was taught to live according to my means. Of course, we could afford a more expensive ceremony, but again, I am fully cognizant of a future that lies ahead of us. Life doesn’t start and stop on wedding day,” Dr Ngina .
“With the budget of Ksh350, 000, Ksh123, 000 went to food, which we bought at Safari Park Hotel. That was enough to feed the 42 people, who attended our nuptials. My wedding gown cost Ksh40, 000; and I thought that that was quite much, given I am used to wearing mtumba clothes,” said Dr Ngina. She says the motivation behind her “small” wedding was the fact that “only few people genuinely care about your welfare”.