A Kenyan woman working in Saudi Arabia is facing 100 lashes after a court in Riyadh sentenced her for giving birth outside marriage.
The woman, identified as Muthoni, was handed the sentence in October, according to an investigation published by The New York Times.
Muthoni was working as a domestic worker when she became pregnant following a relationship with an Egyptian man. She gave birth in August 2025 while staying in staff housing and was later taken to hospital.
Police reportedly detained her at the hospital and questioned her about the pregnancy.
Her boyfriend had already left Saudi Arabia, leaving her to raise their child alone. Muthoni said she was later thrown out of the house where she had been staying with her son.
With nowhere to go, she ended up living at a petrol station as she tried to find a way back to Kenya.
Her situation took another turn when she was charged with giving birth outside marriage. A three-judge panel at a criminal court in Riyadh later sentenced her to 100 lashes.
Under Saudi Arabia’s strict Sharia laws, sexual relations outside marriage are treated as a criminal offence known as zina. Women who give birth without a marriage certificate can face prosecution, with pregnancy or childbirth used as evidence of the offence.
The investigation also questioned the assistance Muthoni received from Kenyan authorities. It reported that she had not received help from the Kenyan mission in Saudi Arabia despite her situation.
Her travel documents have since expired, and there is still no clear indication of when the punishment will be carried out or whether she will be allowed to return to Kenya.
The Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh had not issued a public statement on the case by the time of publication.