Kenya is party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). Intercountry adoptions from Convention countries are processed in accordance with the Convention; the U.S. implementing legislation, the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (IAA); and the IAA’s implementing regulations, as well as the implementing legislation and regulations of Kenya.
Intercountry adoptions are not currently possible in Kenya. As reported in our December 13, 2014 adoption alert, on November 27, 2014, the Government of Kenya enacted a moratorium on adoptions of Kenyan children by foreigners for a time period of six months to a year. The Government of Kenya stated their intention to reform intercountry adoption procedures during this time. In our March 10 adoption notice, we reported that on February 20, 2015, the Kenyan government established an expert committee charged with reviewing procedures for both domestic and intercountry adoptions. It is our understanding that the moratorium impacts relative and non-relative adoption alike. The Government of Kenya has not provided any information on the timeline for any reforms to intercountry and domestic adoption procedures, nor has it offered any updated timeline for lifting the moratorium.
The Department of State will provide updated information on adoption.state.gov as it becomes available.
Please visit the Department’s Country Specific Information for more information on travelling to Kenya and the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi’s website for information on consular services.
