Kenyan authorities are once again appealing to single mothers living in Saudi Arabia to come forward and document their children, after new updates revealed a very low response to the support programmes created to help them.
Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu said the Government had continued to receive concerns about the wellbeing of Kenyan women and their undocumented children in the Kingdom, prompting ongoing efforts to address the matter.
In her statement, Njogu explained that the registration of Kenyan children born abroad is clearly provided for under national laws, and that the responsibility of initiating the process lies with parents. She noted that Kenyan missions are expected to receive the correct birth details and help with formal registration.
She linked the current challenges to Saudi Arabia’s strict position on relationships outside marriage, which is treated as an offence and attracts heavy punishment including arrest, jail, or deportation. As a result, many mothers who conceive out of wedlock avoid hospitals and deliver at home with the help of untrained midwives to avoid trouble with authorities.
Because Saudi officials require a marriage certificate before issuing a birth certificate, most single mothers are unable to register their children through the normal process.
Njogu stressed that Kenya does not treat children differently based on the marital status of their parents. She noted that the country’s laws and constitutional guidelines require equal protection for all children. It is for this reason, she said, that the Government stepped in to support Kenyans affected by these restrictions and ensure their rights are safeguarded.
One of the interventions was the DNA sampling exercise conducted in 2023 under the Mobile Consular Services known as the Mwanamberi Project. The programme was meant to help parents and children confirm identity for birth certificate and citizenship processing. However, uptake remained low. Fewer than 1,000 people participated, resulting in 707 DNA samples, including 388 from children. Only 113 parents later applied for birth certificates, out of which 110 were completed.
According to Njogu, the Ministry reached out to all parents whose documents were ready using phone calls, text messages, and public notices within community groups. Only a third of them collected the certificates from the Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh.
Others who submitted DNA samples but never completed the birth certificate application process were advised to follow through, but participation has remained low.
Beyond this, the Kenya Embassy in Riyadh set up a joint working team with various Saudi agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Directorate of Passports, the Ministry of Labour, and the Ministry of Interior.
This cooperation created a clear system for helping Kenyans return home safely. Through this approach, 59 mothers and 73 children were repatriated.
Njogu also pointed out that Kenya had secured an amnesty for Kenyans who were out of status, allowing them to regularise or return home without facing punishment. Even with this window in place, only a small number of Kenyans made use of it.
She encouraged all affected mothers to act without delay. “Firstly, we urge the single mothers in KSA with undocumented children to utilize the pathways already created by the Government of Kenya to regularize their status and procure documentation for their children,” she said.
She also asked parents whose children’s birth certificates are already at the embassy to collect them as soon as possible.
Njogu reminded parents in the diaspora to ensure that all births are registered to protect their children’s rights. She also encouraged Kenyans abroad to follow the laws of their host countries and register themselves with the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
“Finally, we remind all Kenyans in the diaspora of their obligation to register themselves with the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs,” she said.
She affirmed that Kenya remains committed to protecting its people abroad, saying the creation of the State Department for Diaspora Affairs reflects the Government’s duty to safeguard their welfare
