British Army sergeant accused of bigamy claims second marriage in Kenya was accidental
A British Army sergeant taken to court martial for bigamy claimed he accidentally married a second wife while deployed in Kenya because the service was in Swahili.
Sgt Noa Dravikula, 42, had separated from his first wife but was not officially divorced when he married a second woman in a Sharia Law ceremony, the court martial heard.
The soldier had been deployed to Nanyuki, north of Nairobi, when he “started a relationship” with Kenyan woman Kuki Wason.
Prosecutors alleged in October 2021, the couple had an Islamic marriage ceremony, called a nikah, which meant he was committing bigamy.
However, Sgt Dravikula said he “didn’t understand what was happening” because the marriage service was in the African language of Swahili, which he does not speak.
British law states couples can marry if they are aged 18 or over and are single, widowed or divorced, or if they were in a civil partnership which has been dissolved.
The marriage came to the attention of the Army when Sgt Dravikula expressed his wish to bring Ms Wason back to the UK with him.
At Bulford Military Court, Wilts, he denied one count of bigamy.
Prosecutor Flight Lieutenant Charlotte Adams told the court Sgt Dravikula married his first wife in June 2011 in a Methodist church in Fiji.
The court heard Sgt Dravikula’s first wife, with whom he shares a child, had initiated divorce proceedings after their separation in March 2017.
However, the divorce had not yet been finalised and so they were not officially separated.
Flt Lt Adams said: “He then proceeded to marry a second individual, Kuki Wason, on October 29, 2021, whilst married to his first wife. In doing so he committed bigamy.”
Flt Lt Adams told Bulford Military Court the sergeant struck up a relationship with Ms Wason while deployed at a base in her homeland.
“He was deployed to a British Army Training Unit in Kenya,” Flt Lt Adams said.
“Whilst there, he started a relationship with Kuki Wason.
“On October 29, 2021, a Sharia Law marriage ceremony called a nikah took place – this was a legal, recognised marriage ceremony.
“The marriage ceremony was a valid Kenyan marriage ceremony and in doing so he committed bigamy whilst his first wife was still alive and not divorced.”
The court heard the ceremony was overseen by a priest at the home of the mother of the bride, with two witnesses present but was conducted in Swahili.
Several months later, in February 2022, a “heavily pregnant” Ms Wason went with her mother to register her marriage to Sgt Dravikula, despite his absence.
Flt Lt Adams also said: “On the marriage certificate, [Sgt Dravikula] said he was divorced but that was not accurate.”
She said this came to the attention of the Army when Sgt Dravikula tried to record his next of kin as Kuki Wason and referred to her as “his wife”.
“It was then flagged there was no divorce from his first wife and he admitted he was not actually divorced and wished to bring his second wife to the UK,” Flt Lt Adams said.
‘No knowledge of what happened’
The court heard Sgt Dravikula claimed he had “no knowledge” of what had happened because the service was conducted in Swahili and therefore “didn’t understand what was happening”.
“[Sgt Dravikula] stated he didn’t know and any marriage that was conducted was a deception to him,” Flt Lt Adams added.
In the UK a nikah is only considered a legally valid marriage if it takes place at a registered venue.
Otherwise, couples need to register their marriage through a further civil ceremony in order to enjoy the legal benefits and security of marriage.
The court heard from a marriage officer who explained Islamic marriage was different in Kenya.
He said their wedding certificate “shows they got married”.
Sgt Dravikula denies bigamy.
The trial, which is expected to last two days, continues.
