A Kenyan man who spent over a decade on death row in Saudi Arabia has finally been released, bringing relief to his family and supporters after years of appeals and negotiations.
Stephen Abdukareem Munyakho was freed under a “judicial decree,” Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei announced on X, though he did not share further details.
His mother, veteran journalist Dorothy Kweyu, told local media she was overwhelmed with emotion upon hearing the news. “I rolled on the floor,” she said. “This satisfaction is going to be with me for a while. This time, it is true. The ambassador [in Saudi Arabia] has confirmed it.”
Munyakho, who had moved to Saudi Arabia in his early 20s, was working as a warehouse manager at a Red Sea resort when he got into a fatal altercation with a Yemeni colleague in 2011.
According to his mother, the colleague stabbed Munyakho with a letter opener, and in retaliation, Munyakho used the same object to defend himself, resulting in the colleague’s death.
Initially convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to five years, his case was later appealed, and in 2014, he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.Under Saudi Arabia’s interpretation of Islamic law, murder cases can be resolved if the victim’s family accepts dihya (blood money) in place of execution.
After long and difficult negotiations, the victim’s family agreed to accept $1 million (£742,000) in compensation. The amount was paid earlier this year by the Kenyan government and the Muslim World League.
Throughout the years, Munyakho’s execution was postponed several times following interventions by Kenyan officials, to help rescue him. His mother, Ms. Kweyu, led a tireless campaign to save her son’s life, speaking to the media and appealing to leaders and organizations for help, to save her son’s life.
Following his release, Munyakho performed the minor Muslim pilgrimage, known as Umrah, in Mecca. It remains unclear when he will return home to Kenya.
