Kenyan Domestic Worker Sentenced to 100 Lashes in Saudi Arabia After Giving Birth

A court in Riyadh has sentenced Esther Wanja Muthoni, a 40-year-old Kenyan domestic worker, to 100 lashes and one year of banishment after finding her guilty of sex outside marriage. She gave birth to a son in Saudi Arabia in August 2025 after a relationship with an Egyptian man, who has since left the country. The ruling reportedly did not mention any action against him. Muthoni went through the proceedings without a lawyer and chose not to appeal, fearing it would prolong her stay in the kingdom. She has been trying to return to Kenya with her child but faces documentation problems, and it is unclear when the sentence will be carried out or when she can leave. The case has renewed attention on the challenges faced by East African domestic workers recruited to work in Saudi Arabia. The account was reported by an international newspaper.

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