A man from Kenya has lived in the UK for 30 years and is taking the next step in a long and expensive legal battle to bring his wife and family here.
Henry Maina got married in 2020 and said he spent £25,000 trying to bring his family together, including his daughter and wife’s two sons.
The family now brings the case to the upper court after the appeal was denied.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said they were unable to comment on individual cases when legal proceedings were conducted.
Mr. Maine, a software engineer who lives in Gloucester, said he is separated from his family because they are “actually two lives.”
He and his wife, Mary Njeri Kiari, met in Kenya in 2019 and married in the UK in 2020 – but Mrs. Njeri Kiari had to return to Kenya after her visa was terminated.
Since then, the couple has a daughter but haven’t been together for five years.
“It’s hard, we’ve lived almost twice, they’re there, I’m here,” Mr Maina said.
“Jayna, my little kid, sometimes she cries on the phone and she wants to come here to be with me.”
Mrs. Njeri Kiari has two sons from a previous relationship [BBC]
Mr Maina has lived in the UK for 30 years but has not given him a “visa for indefinite leave”.
This means his wife, daughter and Bujin’s son are unable to sign his visa.
But Mr. Maine believes that, as he said, they should be able to pay taxes and national insurance and never ask for benefits.
“My wife, once she comes, she wants to go to a social care job so we don’t rely on the welfare of the state.”
He said £25,000 has been spent on the case so far, and more is expected before the Supreme Court – Mr Mannya said he is trying to squeeze in some bills.
The BBC contacted the Home Office, which told us it was unable to comment on individual cases, especially if legal proceedings were underway.
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