Kenyan Man Seeks Government Help to Visit His Ill American Wife After Three US Visa Rejections

Bernard Musyoki Musungu Kakuawee, a 39-year-old man from Kenya, has urgently requested aid from his government in order to visit his ailing wife, an American citizen. His wife, Deborah Jan Spicer, who is 74 years old, has been hospitalized in the United States for an extended period.

Musyoki, whose spouse is significantly older than him, has disclosed that he has been denied a US visa three times since they tied the knot. The couple, who initially connected through Facebook in 2017, met face-to-face for the first time on December 20, 2020, and exchanged vows in Nairobi on February 2, 2021.

Despite the geographical distance separating them, the couple professes to be deeply in love. In an interview dated February 19, 2026, with TUKO.co.ke, Musyoki shared that his wife's health has deteriorated after she tested positive for COVID-19 once again.

“She tested positive for COVID-19 once more, and her lung condition has worsened due to a prolonged battle with pneumonia,” Musyoki explained.

The distressed husband has appealed to the Kenyan authorities for assistance, hoping to obtain a US visa that would allow him to care for his sick wife. He recently applied for a third visa but was turned down yet again.

In a heartfelt post on Facebook, Musyoki shared images of Deborah in her hospital room, expressing his sorrow: "My mwende is in critical care in hospital, but I can't be with her. This is even after being legally married for over five years...so sad that she can't even travel...what a world," he wrote.

Earlier in January 2025, Deborah was hospitalized for weeks following heart surgery in the US, a situation which prevented Musyoki from offering her the necessary support. Musyoki, who has recently entered local politics, has continued to strive for government intervention to facilitate his travel.

In a related revelation, Musyoki noted that his wife sends him KSh 100,000 each month for his living expenses. He also disclosed that he had paid KSh 100 as dowry for Deborah, as her parents have passed away, negotiating the terms directly with her and her children. Deborah's children suggested that he pay the token amount and requested he offer it in church as a gesture of goodwill.