Chef John Mulua has been an important part of Hamilton’s Kenyan community for almost a decade after coming to Canada in 2014, fleeing violence in his country of origin.
On January 28, he will be deported back to Kenya, where he says some family members have been killed over land disputes and it will not be safe for him to return.
“John is one of the most vibrant people we have in this community,” said friend and fellow Kenya-Hamilton resident Jared Kibagendi.
Mulwa has been a chef for decades, working around the world with Celebrity Cruises. Most recently, Mulwa worked as a chef for the Mohawk Student Association at Mohawk College.
But his greatest passion is his catering business, where he makes African food for people from the African diaspora who live in shelters and need a taste of home.
“There are many Africans who also came for safe haven and most of them were living in the shelter but there was no food for them. So I would collect food and then go around to check in on them,” he said.
Mulwa is always the one behind the grill at community barbecues, Kibagendi said. He described Mulva as a natural host and a “family man”.
People who threaten me and my family will surely come for me.- Hamilton Chef John Mulua
Together, Kibagendi and Mulwa are president and vice president of a mutual aid group for Hamilton’s Kenyan community called Jamii.
Kibagendi said many of the people in Hamilton’s Kenyan community are refugees who have fled danger and found a new home for themselves in Canada.
“[Mulwa] since I have a deportation order, this thing has really traumatized most people in the Kenyan community here,” he said.
“Kenya is not Canada,” Kibagendi said, adding that if they were going to deport Mulwa, they should deport him to another country because he would not be safe in Kenya.
Hamilton’s Kenyan community has started a Change.org petition calling on the government to review the deportation orders.
“Canada is home to me”
In 2014, he said he was working abroad when he heard that some members of his family had been killed over land disputes in Kenya.
His original plan was to go to the United States and find work there, but when he landed in British Columbia, he did a Google search on where Kenyan refugees were staying in Canada and found that many of his fellow Kenyans were in the GTA.
John Mulua has been a big part of Hamilton’s Kenyan community for almost a decade. He is known for his work as a chef and is the organizer of the annual Hamilton Kenya BBQ. (Submitted by Jared Kibagendi)
Before fleeing Kenya, Mulua said he had been to Canada before while working on a cruise ship as a cook.
“I saw that Canada was one of the best places where I could live and … feel safe,” he said.
Mulua said when he arrived in Canada, he struggled with depression and trauma from fleeing Kenya.
He told himself that “the only way to heal from this is to connect with the Kenyan community” and became an active community leader.
He worked at Samir Halal Supermarkets in Hamilton as a butcher, worked as a head chef at Mohawk College, organized the annual Hamilton Kenyan BBQ and started his own catering business.
This past summer he worked with Murphy’s Country Produce on a special project growing East African vegetables at Binbrook Farm.
“Canada is home to me,” he said.
The lack of documents affects the application for refugee status
But getting refugee status while already living in Canada has proven difficult.
“When I explained the same story I’m explaining to you, for some reason [Canadian Border Services] don’t believe me,” he said.
Hamilton immigration consultant Charlene DaSilva said seeking refugee status in Canada is a multi-step process that requires several hearings and documented proof that you are not safe in your country of origin.
“If you’re going to come to Canada and say I need Canada’s protection, Canada wants to see, ‘Well, what’s the evidence for that?’ Do you know if you have a police record? Do you have medical records? do you have threats, written threats? Do you have anything to actually substantiate your fear?” she said.
Mulua said he was initially allowed to enter the country as a refugee, and Da Silva said he likely had a two-year window to prove his status.
He said he was asked “to collect evidence from the same side that I was injured”.
“How [could you] go to the same village where you are being threatened to ask random people to give you evidence of what you are going through?” Mulua said.
John Mulua said he was very depressed when he came to Canada and was able to heal with the help of Hamilton’s Kenyan community. His deportation has upset the community he has been a part of for almost 10 years. (Submitted by John Mulua)
Mulwa said he fears for his safety in Kenya.
“People who threaten me and my family will definitely come for me,” he said.
Kibagendi said sending Mulwa back to Kenya was like throwing him into a den of lions.
Mulua said he applied for refugee status in 2014 and was denied, then appealed the decision three times and was denied each time.
In June 2022, he applied for a final appeal to the Federal Court of Canada for judicial review, but was denied.
A spokeswoman for Canada Border Services Agency, Rebecca Purdy, responded to CBC Hamilton’s inquiries about Mulwa’s case by email. She said she was unable to answer questions related to Mulua’s case, but said, “The decision to remove someone from Canada is not taken lightly.”
“Once individuals have exhausted all legal avenues of appeal and due process, they are expected to comply with our laws and leave Canada or face removal,” she said.
Mulwa has one last chance – he is seeking humanitarian and compassionate reasons for permanent residency in Canada.
Mulwa said he applied on December 12, 2022 and received confirmation that his application was received.
Add Comment