A Kenyan woman, Peninah Wanjiru from Dundori Ward, Bahati, in Nakuru County, is seeking assistance to reunite with her infant daughter, who was left in Saudi Arabia following her deportation.
In an interview with Citizen TV, Wanjiru said she traveled to Saudi Arabia on July 3, 2019, for work, leaving behind her two children, who were staying with her grandmother after losing their mother some years back.
“I was earlier working in a hotel in Kenya, where I was being paid Ksh 11000, but the work had a lot of challenges like clients escaping without paying bills, and mostly I ended up taking home Ksh 6000, which was not enough,” Peninah Wanjiru explained.
How Peninah Wanjiru Was Deported from Saudi Leaving Her Infant
Later, after about 9 months, citing issues with her employer, Wanjiru left her formal employment and remained in the country without valid documentation.
During the period, she details having entered a relationship and later giving birth to a baby girl.
Peninah Wanjiru was subsequently abandoned, leaving her without financial support or proper legal documentation required to remain in the country legally.
According to her account, the lack of valid residency documents led to her arrest by Saudi authorities.
Arrest and Deportation
Following the arrest, the Kenyan woman was deported back to Kenya with her child withheld in Saudi Arabia.
She was unable to travel with her infant daughter due to legal and documentation challenges affecting the child’s status.
Also Read: Kenyan Embassy In Riyadh Moves to Document Children Amid Stranded Mothers In Saudi Arabia
Now back in Kenya, Wanjiru reports experiencing emotional distress due to the separation.
She has appealed to the Kenyan government, humanitarian organizations, and well-wishers to help facilitate the child’s return to Kenya.
Govt On Mothers Stranded in Saudi Arabia Over Undocumented Children
In earlier reports as of November 2025, hundreds of Kenyan mothers and their children remain trapped in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, living in harsh conditions on the streets of Riyadh and Jeddah.
As reported by the Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, he said the crisis was due to the kingdom’s strict laws on children born out of wedlock being denied registration as citizens of Saudi Arabia.
Also Read: Govt Issues Way Forward on Kenyan Mothers Stranded in Saudi Arabia
Mudavadi added that the issue had been the subject of several parliamentary sessions, raised by members of parliament whose constituents have been affected.
He also acknowledged that despite government efforts, the process to try and rescue the Kenyan mothers and their children and bring them back to Kenya was slow and highly insignificant.
“The deliberate efforts have resulted in the safe repatriation of 59 mothers and 73 children back to Kenya.”
The CS further revealed that human trafficking remained a growing concern, with many Kenyans falling victim to fraudulent recruitment agents who promise to find them jobs abroad.
