The question of when young adults should marry has resurfaced sharply following recent remarks by President William Ruto.
Speaking at a high-profile wedding event, the President specifically challenged members of the Gen Z demographic who are above 25 years old to commit to marriage.
A Call to Settle Down
President Ruto delivered his message on Saturday, 29 November 2025, during the wedding of Moses Mudavadi, the son of Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, and Qillian Saiya.
This traditional setting often serves as a platform for national leaders to offer guidance on societal norms.
The President issued a concise instruction, urging: “Those of you who are above the age of 25, get married.”
He coupled this direct instruction with a sharp warning against a lifestyle focused on continuous nightlife. He warned young people to:
“Stop wandering around, leaving this club, entering this club, leaving this club, going to that other one”.
Economy Versus Affection
The President's directive quickly ignited fierce debate on social media, with many young adults pointing to economic realities as the primary barrier to marriage.
Many users questioned the feasibility of starting a family amid financial hardship.
User Willis Evans Otieno (@otienowill) simply asked, “With this economy?” Another user, Lee (@VyKing_13), lamented that people are struggling just to pay rent and are living “hand to mouth”.
READ TOO: Ruto Challenges Gen Zs Over 25: “Get Married & Ditch Nightclub Life”
The responsibility of providing was central to many critical posts. User Abala Juniour (@OketchAbala) questioned the President directly: “Will you provide for their children?”
Evans Mulongo (@evans_mulo85386) noted that many young people are jobless.
K.L.M. (@kiprutolevi2) asked how families would be fed with “a state-captured economy”. NextB (@gilok2007) highlighted the common dilemma: “Between marriage and Employment, which comes first?”
One user, Ancestor Y (@mayakaofficial1), observed that marriage is the fulfilment of adulthood, but stated that a person cannot marry if they are not prepared and have nothing to sustain the relationship.
Why Gen Z Delays Marriage
Globally, younger generations—Millennials and Gen Z—are delaying or forgoing marriage.
Data from the Pew Research Center showed that in 2021, a record 25 per cent of 40-year-olds had never been married.
The decision to marry is now seen less as a requirement for adulthood and more as an active choice.
Financial instability is a major factor, creating a feeling that one cannot be ‘ready’ for marriage until a certain income is reached or a house can be afforded. The high cost of a wedding also contributes to this concern.
“Millennials’ and Gen Z’s relationship toward marriage is different from any generation before. They’ve finally reached a period in society when getting married is no longer the first pivotal step in becoming an adult,” the research said.
Another influence is the fear of divorce. Many young people grew up witnessing their parents' marriages end, leading to an aversion to legally tying themselves to another person.
“Boomers have the highest divorce rate of any living generation, and it’s had an effect on how their kids approach marriage, which is: cautiously and less often.”
Furthermore, living with a partner is now less taboo, removing the urgency to formalise the relationship.
Pinpointing the ‘Ideal’ Age
For parents and young adults, finding the strongest foundation for marriage involves considering maturity, stability, and financial security.
The median age for a first marriage in the US and other developed countries is currently 26 for women and 28 for men.
Research suggests there is a general window for optimal marital timing. Professor Norval Glenn’s study indicated that the greatest likelihood of being in an intact, high-quality marriage was found among those who married between ages 22 and 25.
ALSO READ: How to Avoid Time Wasters and Find Peace in Marriage – Lucy Natasha
He concluded that delaying marriage past the mid-twenties is unlikely to gain more marital success.
However, other specialists propose a slightly later window. Under the “Goldilocks theory,” the ideal age to marry with the least likelihood of divorce in the first five years is 28 to 32.
Marrying in one's late 20s or early 30s often coincides with more stable professional careers and secure economic foundations.
Experts agree that marrying too young, particularly in the teens, significantly increases the risk of divorce.
Conversely, postponing marriage too late—specifically after age 32—may also increase the odds of divorce by five per cent per year. This is partly because those marrying later may face a dwindling supply of potential partners.
Ultimately, while there is no single perfect age, marital success is also shaped by factors like financial responsibility, emotional stability, and general maturity, which often develop after age 25.
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