Cynthia Waggah, a woman who left Kenya to seek refuge in the United Kingdom, has expressed frustration, claiming life as an asylum seeker is not a bed of roses.
Waggah, a former Interior Ministry official, recently told the BBC that she fled Kenya because she believed her life was at risk due to her sexuality.
Cynthia travelled to the UK in 2022 to seek asylum, fearing arrest and the loss of her children, as the Kenyan Constitution does not permit homosexuality.
According to her, despite being granted the right to live in a European country, life has not been easy due to the pressure of feeling unwanted by those close to her.
Waggah, while speaking during an interview with BBC's Radio Cumbria as part of Refugee Week, revealed that upon suspecting a possible arrest, she immediately contacted a human rights group.
She then travelled to the UK on a visitor's visa and sought asylum upon her arrival. She spent several months living in a hotel-style accommodation in Warrington before she was later moved to Carlisle.
During the interview, Waggah reflected on her former life in Kenya, describing it as a positive experience, noting that she was well educated, had a stable job, and a family.
"I had everything figured out career-wise, education-wise, family-wise. I was working at the Ministry of the Interior, and I had my child," she narrated.
"I had to take off because of persecution. Life became unbearable. The only way out was to seek refuge where human rights are upheld, a safe environment," Waggah added.
Since her arrival in the UK, Waggah stayed in a refugee camp until 2024, when she received a notification that she was allowed to stay for five more years.
She noted that another major challenge she faced was being separated from her children. Additionally, other asylum seekers viewed her sexuality negatively.
"When I got here, I realised there's so much negativity around seeking refuge. It's not a bed of roses. We are not coming to grab anything," Waggah noted.
Waggah, who currently leads the Cumberland Sanctuary Network, an organisation that helps asylum seekers in the UK, expressed hope for a day when human rights would be upheld in Kenya.
