KENYA · SAUDI ARABIA
A Kenyan domestic worker in Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to 100 lashes and one year of banishment (a court-ordered removal whose terms are unclear), The Star, a Nairobi daily, reported on 11 November 2026. The Star cited a report by the Daily Mail, a British tabloid, of an investigation by The New York Times.
The woman, referred to here as Muthoni, 40, was convicted in October 2026 of sex outside marriage after giving birth, according to that account. Citizen Digital, a Kenyan news site, and Chronicle, a Nigerian newspaper, also reported on 11 November that the Times published its findings on Tuesday 10 November.
Key Facts
- What is reported A court in Riyadh reportedly sentenced a Kenyan domestic worker to 100 lashes and one year of banishment.
- The charge Conviction for sex outside marriage after she gave birth, reportedly in October 2026.
- Unverified We have not seen the court ruling and could not confirm any Saudi or Kenyan government comment.
- Who is affected Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia, where, according to a Kenyan government statement, a birth outside marriage is considered proof of an offence under Saudi law.
What Is Reported
The Star said she is a mother of five who worked legally for a Saudi company, named in the report as Maharah, a recruitment firm, and gave birth in August 2025. It said a three-judge panel heard the case, that she had a court translator but no lawyer, and that the court applied an interpretation of Islamic law prescribing 100 lashes.
She did not appeal, the report says, because returning to her children was her priority. She told The New York Times she was “so afraid” and did not think she could “endure those lashes.”
Who Is Affected
Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia are the group most directly concerned. Kenya’s State Department for Diaspora Affairs, which handles citizens abroad, said in a November 2025 statement signed by Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu that under Saudi law sex outside marriage is illegal, with penalties including arrest, imprisonment and/or deportation.
The same statement said a conception and birth from such a relationship is considered proof of an offence. It also said Kenyan mothers in Saudi Arabia had difficulty registering births because Saudi authorities require a marriage certificate.
Related coverage includes our Kenya news page and Kenya’s president William Ruto explained. For wider background, see our look at Kenya’s economy in 2026.
What Is Not Known
We could not see the court ruling, and we could not confirm any Saudi or Kenyan government comment. The report says the Kenyan and Saudi governments and Maharah did not respond to requests for comment.
The date of the flogging is not known. It is also unclear whether the one-year banishment will lead to deportation to Kenya.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the reported sentence?
She was reportedly sentenced to 100 lashes and one year of banishment for sex outside marriage. We have not seen the court ruling.
Has Saudi Arabia limited flogging?
The report says Saudi Arabia announced limits on flogging in 2020. It kept an exception for offences where Islamic law prescribes the punishment.
Sources: The Star (Nairobi), 11 November 2026, citing the Daily Mail; Citizen Digital (Nairobi), 11 November 2026; The New York Times, 10 November 2026 (as cited by The Star and Chronicle); Chronicle (Nigeria), 11 November 2026; Kenya State Department for Diaspora Affairs, statement of November 2025 (as reported by Kenyans.co.ke, a Kenyan news site, 15 November 2025).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error