Senator Karungo Thang’wa faults foreign affairs ministry over plight of undocumented Kenyan mothers and children in Saudi Arabia

Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa has issued a strong rebuttal to the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs over its recent statement on undocumented Kenyan mothers and children stranded in Saudi Arabia.

In a detailed response released on Sunday, the senator accused the ministry of downplaying the suffering he witnessed during his recent visit to Riyadh, where he encountered Kenyan mothers and infants sleeping on streets in distress, undocumented and without support.

Karungo said hundreds of Kenyan children remain stateless despite DNA samples having been collected years earlier, with only 110 birth certificates processed out of 707 samples. He dismissed claims that mothers had failed to pick their documents, insisting many were never contacted, lived far from embassy offices, or feared arrest under Saudi laws criminalising childbirth outside marriage.

He urged the government to deploy an emergency consular team, fast-track all pending DNA results within 30 days, create a safe reporting channel, investigate alleged embassy negligence, and facilitate immediate repatriation.

The senator vowed to continue pushing for accountability, stating the issue is about dignity, human life, and Kenya’s duty to protect its citizens abroad.