Rev. Rosalind Wanyeki faces deportation from Canada with her kids. Over 3,600 have signed petitions urging clemency.
A Kenyan pastor and her two children are facing imminent deportation from Canada after fleeing alleged religious persecution by a powerful church figure in Kenya.
Reverend Rosalind Wanyeki and her two children—Joylene Mundia (10) and Pearl Mundia (6)—have until August 7, 2025, to leave the country, unless Canadian authorities halt the process.
“I have a deportation for August 7th, and I am appealing to the public to sign the petition and help stop the deportation,” she pleaded.
Wanyeki argues she was already established in Canada with her own ministry, similar to Rev Teresia Wairimu, a pioneer evangelical leader in Kenya.. She told Canadian media that returning to Kenya would be a death sentence.
“I was already established, I had the church, and I had my own business. I have my two kids. I wouldn’t have come all this way… It’s as good as saying if you want me to go back to Kenya, honestly, kill me here,” she said.
Over 3,600 Sign Petitions to Halt Deportation
By 6:30 AM EAT, Change.org reported that 2,076 people had signed a petition urging Canadian authorities to halt the deportation. A separate portal run by the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change garnered 1,555 additional signatures, bringing the total to 3,631.
The petition describes Rev. Wanyeki as a foundational figure in the African diaspora community in Canada. It states she provides spiritual and emotional support to immigrants and families grappling with adjustment difficulties.
Wanyeki is actively involved with various organizations, including:
According to petitioners, deporting her would “leave a painful gap in a community that deeply relies on her presence.”
Kids Know No Other Home but Canada
Supporters have raised alarm over the children’s future. Joylene and Pearl, both of whom came to Canada at a very young age, have grown up immersed in the Canadian education system, formed local friendships, and adopted the Canadian way of life.
“They have no connection to Kenya—culturally, socially, or emotionally,” the petition reads. “Removing them would not only traumatize them but expose them to significant danger and instability.”
The petitioners also urged immigration officials to consider Canada’s humanitarian principles.
“The right to live in safety is a basic human right — one that Rosalind and her children deserve,” said the petition on Change.org.
Calls for Compassion Grow
Petitioners argue that deporting the family contradicts Canada’s global reputation as a safe haven for asylum seekers and victims of persecution.
“Deporting this family is not only cruel but would be a tragic failure of the humanitarian values Canada stands for,” the petition concludes.
