Due to a reporting error, this story misstates how David Kenney immigrated to the U.S. He came to the country via an immigrant visa. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.
David Ngaruri Kenney narrowly escaped death in Kenya by running away to a safe haven, only to find more trouble awaited him in the United States.
Kenney and Philip G. Schrag, who represented him in two asylum cases, will speak about the experience today at 7 p.m. at the FedEx Global Education Center.
They will also be signing copies of their book “Asylum Denied: A Refugee’s Struggle for Safety in America.”
Kenney was a tea farmer in Kenya who organized a rally of 30,000 people to protest the government’s tea farming policies, which he saw as unjust. He was arrested, tortured and almost killed.
He managed to escape to the U.S., where he tried to apply for asylum, which allows refugees to live in the U.S. to escape persecution. After being denied, he was forced to return to Africa.
But he did not give up hope. He went to court three more times seeking asylum.
During the process, he met Schrag, director of Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Legal Studies, in which students receive credit hours for representing people seeking asylum.
Schrag represented Kenney on two unsuccessful appeals, which resulted in another deportation.
But Kenney managed to return to the U.S. and decided to write about his struggles.
Schrag said they hoped the book would “put a human face on the abstract issue of asylum” and explain how hard it is to be granted asylum.
His presentation, he said, should give listeners an understanding of the trials people will suffer through to escape persecution.
Deborah Weissman, director of clinical programs of the UNC School of Law, heard about the book and felt it was an inspiring story and something people would be interested in hearing.She and Sarah Long, a second-year law student, contacted Kenney and Schrag about speaking at UNC.
Long, who has read the book, said she was excited about having the authors at UNC.
“It’s a really exciting story and an inspiring one,” Long said. “Something that would be interesting to a wide range of people.”
She said she is hoping for a large turnout of people who will become aware of the difficulties of seeking asylum.
The event is also sponsored by the UNC Center for Global Initiatives, the Immigration Law Association and the UNC School of Law and its Immigration/Human Rights Policy Clinic.
Kenney and Schrag will also speak Wednesday at noon at the law school.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
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