Alert: Government of Kenya confirms temporary moratorium on intercountry adoptions

Last Updated: December 12, 2014

This is an update to our November 28 adoption notice.

The Government of Kenya confirmed to U.S. Embassy Nairobi that it will enact a temporary moratorium on intercountry adoptions for six months to a year in order to review its adoption laws. A public announcement from the Government of Kenya providing details of the temporary moratorium remains pending. The Government of Kenya stated it will allow ongoing cases to continue through the adoption process. U.S. Embassy Nairobi is awaiting details from the Kenyan National Adoption Committee on which stages of adoptions will be permitted to continue. 

The Office of Children’s Issues is in touch with U.S. adoption service providers licensed by the Government of Kenya to conduct intercountry adoptions in Kenya. A comprehensive list of families who had begun the adoption process is currently being reconciled with the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Additional information regarding the temporary moratorium will be posted to adoption.state.gov as it becomes available.