A Riyadh court sentenced Kenyan domestic worker Muthoni over a birth outside marriage.
A Riyadh court sentenced domestic worker Muthoni after she gave birth to a son outside marriage.
A Saudi court has reportedly sentenced a Kenyan domestic worker to 100 lashes for giving birth outside marriage. A three-judge panel at a criminal court in Riyadh handed Muthoni the sentence in October.
Muthoni gave birth to a son in staff housing in August 2025 before going to hospital. Police allegedly detained her there to question her about the pregnancy.
She became pregnant following a relationship with an Egyptian boyfriend. However, Muthoni said he later left Saudi Arabia, leaving her to care for their son.
After losing their accommodation, she and the baby stayed at a petrol station. Meanwhile, she tried to arrange a return to Kenya, but her travel documents have since expired.
100 lashes for an offence under Saudi law
Saudi Arabia applies strict Islamic Sharia law, which treats sexual relations outside a legally recognised marriage as a criminal offence. The offence is known as zina.
For unmarried women, pregnancy or childbirth without a marriage certificate can serve as evidence of that offence. Authorities and hospitals often treat either circumstance as proof of sex outside marriage.
The punishment involves public flogging with a bamboo cane or stick. During the process, the person remains seated and fully clothed, while a medical officer monitors the punishment.
Muthoni’s case follows her delivery in staff housing and subsequent questioning by police. The court later convicted her over the birth outside marriage.
