A 40-year-old Kenyan domestic worker has been sentenced to 100 lashes and one year of banishment in Saudi Arabia after a court convicted her of having sexual relations outside marriage, following the birth of her child.
The woman, identified as Esther Wanja Muthoni, is a mother of five who has been stranded in the Gulf kingdom for more than a year as she struggles to secure her return to Kenya with her young son.
According to an investigation by The New York Times, Muthoni was convicted by a criminal court in Riyadh in October 2026 after a series of hearings that took place during the summer.
Muthoni reportedly became pregnant following a brief relationship with an Egyptian man while working legally in Saudi Arabia as a housekeeper and nanny.
She gave birth to a baby boy in August 2025 at staff accommodation. Her situation came to the attention of authorities after a supervisor discovered her and the newborn and took them to hospital, where police detained her for questioning over the pregnancy.
During questioning, Muthoni reportedly told investigators that the child’s father had already left Saudi Arabia.
The consequences were devastating. She allegedly lost access to her accommodation and initially struggled to find shelter for herself and her newborn. At one point, she was forced to seek refuge at a petrol station in Riyadh, where other migrant mothers reportedly gathered while attempting to return to their home countries.
Although her employer later provided accommodation and the Kenyan Embassy issued documents to facilitate her departure, she could not leave while the criminal proceedings were ongoing. Her travel documents have since expired.
Reports indicate that she attended the court proceedings with a translator but without legal representation. The case was heard by a three-judge panel. Muthoni ultimately chose not to appeal the conviction, reportedly because she feared that further legal proceedings would delay her return home and reunion with her other children.
Her sentence has reignited debate over Saudi Arabia’s treatment of migrant women and the country’s continued use of corporal punishment.
In 2020, Saudi Arabia announced reforms aimed at ending flogging as a judicial punishment. However, the changes largely covered offences where judges have discretion over sentencing. Flogging remained a possible punishment for certain offences under the traditional interpretation of Islamic law, including adultery. Human rights advocates have questioned the effectiveness of the reforms.
Maryam Aldossari, acting director of human rights organisation ALQST, condemned the ruling, arguing that Muthoni should have been allowed to return to Kenya rather than face corporal punishment.
The case also highlights longstanding concerns about the vulnerability of Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia. A 2024 investigation by The Guardian documented the experiences of Kenyan single mothers stranded in the kingdom because their children, born outside marriage, faced difficulties obtaining birth certificates and travel documents.
Advocates say fear of arrest discourages some unmarried migrant women from seeking medical assistance during childbirth, leaving mothers and their children exposed to further hardship.
For Muthoni, however, the immediate concern remains her safety and the future of her young son. Her Kenyan travel documents have expired, and it is still unclear when the 100 lashes will be administered or whether the one-year banishment will result in her deportation.
As questions mount over the treatment of migrant workers, Muthoni’s predicament has become another painful reminder of the risks faced by thousands of Kenyans seeking employment opportunities abroad.
