- Penina Wanjiru was deported from Saudi Arabia and forced to leave her 3-year-old daughter, Precious, behind
- Wanjiru gave birth to her daughter in 2022 but kept the pregnancy hidden from authorities to avoid deportation
- She explained how she was deported and why the Kenyan government has not allowed her daughter to leave Saudi Arabia with her
A devastated 31-year-old Kenyan woman is urgently seeking help to bring her daughter home to Kenya after being forced to leave her behind in Saudi Arabia.
Source: Youtube
Penina Wanjiru, a resident of Bahati in Nakuru, went to Saudi Arabia in 2019 to seek better opportunities.
While working there, she became pregnant two years later and gave birth to her daughter, Precious, in 2022.
“I didn’t go to the hospital to deliver my daughter. I was told I would need a C-section, but I knew that if I went to the hospital, I would be reported and deported. I didn’t want that. Luckily, I managed to give birth to her without any problems,” she shared.
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Wanjiru explained that when her baby was seven months old, she began leaving her at a daycare while she went to work.
The mother and daughter continued living in Saudi Arabia, with Wanjiru keeping her child hidden from the authorities as she worked hard to support them both.
However, when Precious turned three, police raided her home, took her to the embassy, and ordered Wanjiru to leave the country.
“I was not given time to pack my things, and my daughter was taken away. I told the embassy staff that I had a child and they promised me she would be brought to me, but that never happened. I insisted I wouldn’t leave without her, but I was forced and even beaten,” Wanjiru recalled.
Upon her arrival in Kenya, she received a distressing message from the woman at Precious’s daycare, informing her that they were planning to send her daughter to an orphanage, as the process of deporting her to Kenya was taking too long.
Source: Youtube
Why did Wanjiru leave daughter in Saudi Arabia?
Wanjiru was told that a DNA test was required before her daughter could be allowed into Kenya.
Despite numerous attempts to get help from the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, Wanjiru said the DNA testing process remains vague and poorly defined, even nine months after being forced to leave her toddler behind.
“I have tried every possible way. I’ve reached out to my MP and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but I’m yet to receive any help. The last time I spoke to my daughter was in April. I’m stressed, I’ve become ill, and I’ve lost a lot of weight. I need help to bring my child home,” the grieving mother said.
According to a report by Citizen TV, the Kenyan government reportedly refuses to register children born to mothers in Saudi Arabia out of wedlock unless they undergo DNA testing.
This policy has left many children undocumented and stateless, preventing their mothers working in Saudi Arabia from returning home with them.
Why was Murang’a woman deported from Saudi?
TUKO.co.ke previously reported that a mother of two from Murang’a county shared her painful story while working as a househelp in Saudi Arabia.
Goretti Wambui said she went to the Gulf country hoping for a better life, only to face mistreatment and emotional torture.
She escaped from her employer following the advice of a few friends, but was later arrested and deported.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
