Kiambu senator demands answers over DNA rules trapping Kenyan mothers in Saudi Arabia
By Kiprono Keileb, November 13, 2025Kiambu Senator Karungo Wa Thang’wa has raised an alarm over the plight of Kenyan mothers stranded in Saudi Arabia with their children, calling out authorities of neglect and bureaucratic silence.
In a statement posted on his X on Thursday, November 13, 2025, the Kiambu Senator shared the heartbreaking story of a woman from Vihiga County who has been homeless in Riyadh for years alongside her eight-year-old daughter.
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“She is a Kenyan from Vihiga County. Together with her 8-year-old daughter, she is now homeless in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,” Thang’wa wrote, painting a grim picture of desperation and helplessness.
He explained that the woman, like many others, cannot return home because of strict clearance procedures imposed on Kenyan mothers who give birth out of wedlock while working in Saudi Arabia.
“Many ask, why can’t she just come back home? She can’t. Her fate lies in the hands of the Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh and the Government of Kenya,” he stated.
Thang’wa said that before any Kenyan mother can be cleared to return home with her child, she must undergo a DNA test, a process that has trapped many in limbo.
“By practice, every Kenyan woman who gives birth out of wedlock here must undergo a DNA test before being cleared to return home with her child,” he said.
According to him, DNA samples for several mothers were collected nearly three years ago by Kenyan officials through the embassy, but the results have never been released.
“Their samples and those of many others were collected almost three years ago by officials who reportedly flew from Kenya through the embassy to conduct the process. They returned to Kenya with the samples. Three years later, no results, no updates, and no answers,” Thang’wa said.
The senator questioned how long these mothers and children must continue to suffer as officials remain silent.
“How many more mothers must wait? How many children must grow up stateless, homeless, and forgotten while offices trade silence and bureaucracy?” he asked.
Thang’wa vowed to take the matter to the Senate, urging other stranded Kenyans in Saudi Arabia to reach out.
“If you are in Saudi Arabia and facing a similar struggle, DM me. I must raise this issue on the floor of the Senate,” he concluded.