For four-year-old Baby Precious Wambui, home was for years a face on a phone screen.

Twice a week, her mother Penina Wanjiru would call from Kenya, hoping the little girl would remember her voice, recognise her face and somehow feel the bond that distance had stretched but not broken.

For three years, Precious had lived in Saudi Arabia separated from her mother after Ms Wanjiru was deported to Kenya in March 2025.

On Monday, the long separation finally ended.

At the State Department for Diaspora Affairs offices in Nairobi, Precious walked alongside her mother before wrapping her arms around her in an emotional reunion that brought to an end years of uncertainty, separation and unanswered questions.

For Ms Wanjiru, having her daughter back was a moment she had feared might never come.

“I am happy to have my child back. It has not been easy for me, and I have been unwell, but now I will be okay. I am grateful to the government departments that helped us,” she said.

The separation had taken an emotional toll on the mother. Apart from the pain of being away from her child, she worried about Precious's wellbeing and struggled to understand what was happening to her while she was thousands of kilometres away.

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During their regular video calls, Ms Wanjiru began noticing something that troubled her.

“I knew she was not okay because whenever I made a call and asked her anything, she would reply with one word… ‘OK’,” she said.

Those brief conversations became the only window into her daughter's life, a life the mother could not see for herself.

Bringing Precious home, however, was not as simple as putting her on a plane.

Kenyan authorities first had to establish who she was, confirm her nationality, prove her relationship with her mother and navigate the requirements of Saudi authorities.

According to Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs Roselyn Njogu, Precious was among children whose circumstances left them particularly vulnerable abroad.

The State Department has now repatriated eight children since it was established in 2022 in cases involving children separated from their families overseas.

Some were left behind after a parent died abroad while others were born to mothers serving lengthy prison sentences. Precious was separated from her mother following her deportation.

“We have also brought back children who were born to mothers who were incarcerated and serving long prison sentences,” Ms Njogu said.

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In Precious's case, authorities had to first establish where she was living and whether she was safe.

A Kenyan child welfare officer was sent to Saudi Arabia to assess her circumstances, including how she was being fed, where she was living and whether she was receiving medical care.

The child had been placed under the care of a good Samaritan after her mother was deported.

“We sent a child welfare officer from Kenya to see this child, who was under foster care. The officer had to establish how she was living, how she was being fed and how she was accessing medical care,” Ms Njogu said.

Then came another crucial question: Was the child actually Ms Wanjiru's daughter and was she Kenyan?

Officials at the Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh worked with the Government Chemist to collect a DNA sample from Precious and compare it with her mother's sample in Kenya.

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The results positively confirmed the relationship.

“We had to make sure that the child we were trying to bring back was indeed a Kenyan citizen. The sample was sent to Kenya and matched against the mother’s DNA, confirming that this child was indeed Penina’s daughter,” Ms Njogu said.

With the relationship and nationality established, Kenyan officials began working with Saudi authorities to secure the necessary documentation and an exit permit.

A child welfare officer travelled to Riyadh to collect and accompany Precious on her journey home.

The Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh confirmed that the child had been traced and released following coordinated efforts between Kenyan and Saudi authorities.

At the State Department for Children Services, Principal Secretary Carren Ogeng’o described receiving Precious as one of the most rewarding moments since the department was established.

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“I am really excited to come and receive Baby Precious as we hand her over to her parents,” Ms Ogeng’o said.

But the reunion is not the end of the government's involvement; Children Services has assessed the family to determine whether it can provide Precious with a safe and supportive environment.

“The State Department for Children Services has been responsible for assessing this family's readiness to receive the child, checking their background and whether they are in a position to take care of Baby Precious,” Ms Ogeng’o said.

Her case has also renewed attention on the risks faced by Kenyan families living abroad, particularly where children lack proper documentation.

Ms Ogeng’o urged Kenyans seeking employment abroad to familiarise themselves with and comply with the laws of their host countries.

She also encouraged Kenyans facing difficulties involving their children to seek assistance from Kenyan missions before their circumstances become more complicated.

DNA tests

In 2023, the government conducted a DNA exercise targeting Kenyan children in Saudi Arabia. A total of 707 samples were collected, leading to the repatriation of 73 children and more than 50 mothers.

In November 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said more than 700 Kenyan women and children were stranded in Saudi Arabia because of documentation challenges.

A joint working group involving Kenyan and Saudi authorities has since helped facilitate the return of dozens of mothers and children.

Also Read: Leave Middle East at own cost, State advises stranded Kenyans

Ms Njogu said undocumented children can be particularly vulnerable because their lack of official papers can prevent them from accessing basic services and travelling.

“Having undocumented children puts them in a precarious and vulnerable position because they cannot travel, they cannot be registered in school, they cannot receive vaccinations and so on,” PS said.

Saudi Arabia has strict laws governing relationships and children born outside marriage, circumstances that can make some mothers reluctant or unable to register their children or seek help.

Kenyan authorities are now working with their Saudi counterparts to facilitate exit permits for undocumented children and families who qualify to leave.

Ms Njogu urged Kenyans living abroad to seek help from Kenyan missions and ensure their children are properly documented.

“Please follow the law. Secondly, walk into the Kenyan Embassy or any other Kenyan department and report the matter so that we can help and enable your children to be documented,” she said.

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fokachi@ke.nationmedia.com