A Kenyan domestic worker in Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to 100 lashes and one year of banishment after a criminal court in Riyadh convicted her of having sexual relations outside marriage.
The 40-year-old woman, identified as Esther Wanja Muthoni, received the sentence in October 2026, according to an investigation published by The New York Times on November 10.
Muthoni, a mother of five, has been stranded in Saudi Arabia for more than a year as she attempts to return to Kenya with her young son.
She reportedly became pregnant following a brief relationship with an Egyptian man while working legally as a domestic worker through a Saudi recruitment company.
She gave birth in August 2025 at staff accommodation. Her situation changed after a supervisor discovered her and the baby and took them to hospital, where police detained her for questioning.
During questioning, Muthoni reportedly told officers that the child’s father had already left Saudi Arabia.
She subsequently lost access to her accommodation and was reportedly turned away from a shelter, leaving her without stable housing. At one point, she sought refuge at a petrol station in Riyadh where other migrant mothers had gathered.
Her employer later arranged accommodation, while the Kenyan Embassy issued travel documents to facilitate her return home. However, the ongoing court proceedings prevented her from leaving Saudi Arabia, and the documents have since expired.
The case was heard by a three-judge panel. Although Muthoni had access to a translator during the proceedings, she reportedly did not have legal representation.
The ruling has renewed scrutiny of Saudi Arabia’s application of corporal punishment following reforms announced in 2020 that restricted judicial flogging but left exceptions for certain offences under Islamic law.
Muthoni did not appeal the ruling, saying her priority was to return to her children in Kenya.
She has also expressed fear about the punishment, telling The New York Times that she was uncertain whether she could endure the lashes.
It remains unclear when the sentence will be carried out or whether the one-year banishment will result in her deportation to Kenya. Under Saudi rules, banishment may involve relocation to another city within the country rather than automatic deportation.
