Merceline Atieno Onyango,popularly known as Mercy Atis, a Kenyan musician known for her resilience and tumultuous journey, has yet again shared her experiences following her deportation from the United States.
Speaking on the night of Saturday, May 31, 2025, during an interview in a segment of one of the local TV stations, Atis highlighted the complexities of life abroad and the critical importance of adhering to legal standards.
Atieno, who gained notoriety for her song “I Don’t Wanna Know” and her public struggles, recounted her time in America, where she was arrested for arson and served a five-year prison sentence before being deported.
Her story, marked by personal and legal challenges, serves as a cautionary tale for many aspiring to migrate.
Legal standards
She noted that while there is a bigger side of the US that everyone wants to be, she warned that there is another side that is really ugly, which no one should find themselves in.
“The biggest lesson that I learnt is that America has two sides. There is that one big side that everybody wants to go to, and then there is another side of America that is really ugly, and you don’t want to find yourself there. You do not want to be trapped in the system because once you are trapped, that is the end of you. Anybody who wants to go abroad, I can just advise you to be on the right side of the law, and I can advise you never to get into the system because it is very ugly. They will put mental illnesses on you, they will add charges that are false, and there is a lot of racism,” she narrated.
Her words resonate with the broader narrative of immigrants facing the stringent legal frameworks of host countries, where a single misstep can lead to severe consequences.
Mercy Atieno’s ordeal
On Tuesday, December 15, 2020, in an interview with the now Lang’ata constituency Member of Parliament Phelix Odiwuor, popularly known as Jalang’o, Atis emotionally recalled losing her brother, who passed away in 2004 in the US.
The artist narrated that she got a chance to relocate to the US for studies. However, she ended up selling books and was kicked out of school.
Atis claimed that she became homeless and was also abused several times in the streets.
She was reportedly jailed for five years before being deported back to Kenya in hospital robes after being accused of an arson attack.
Atis also recalled losing both her parents. The mother of two added that she was trolled by fans after she decided to venture into music.
