KENYA – Foreign Authorization

Last Updated: October 19, 2022

To support the viability of intercountry adoption as an option for permanency for children in Kenya, the Office of Children’s Issues and the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi sought information from the Kenyan Central Authority regarding its legal requirements for the authorization of adoption service providers (ASP), pursuant to Article 12 of the Hague Adoption Convention.

Kenya ratified the Convention on February 12, 2007, and it entered into force on June 1, 2007.

The Kenyan Central Authority has confirmed there is currently a moratorium on intercountry and foreign resident adoptions. There are no adoption service providers authorized to provide intercountry adoptions in Kenya at this time. ASPs with questions about specific cases should contact the Kenyan Central Authority directly.

ASPs with questions about adoptions from Kenya should contact the Kenyan Central Authority, Adoption Committee, Department of Children's Services, Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Services, P.O. Box 46205 – 00100, NAIROBI, Kenya

E-mail: alternativefamilycare13@gmail.com or watotoidara@gmail.com

For additional information, ASPs may wish to review the Kenya country-information page.