The intrigues behind Munyakho’s release from Saudi jail

By Newsflash Writer

A Kenyan man who had been on death row in Saudi Arabia for over ten years has been freed after a prolonged effort to spare him from execution, according to an official from Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Stephen Abdukareem Munyakho was granted freedom through a “judicial decree,” Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei announced on X, though he did not provide further details.

His mother, renowned journalist Dorothy Kweyu, told local outlets she was overwhelmed with emotion upon hearing the news. “I rolled on the floor,” she said, reacting to her son’s long-awaited release.

Munyakho had been employed in Saudi Arabia when he was convicted in 2011 for the murder of a Yemeni co-worker—a crime punishable by death in the country. However, after extended talks, the victim’s family agreed to accept compensation in the form of blood money.

Under Saudi Arabia’s interpretation of Islamic law, a death sentence can be overturned if the deceased’s relatives accept “dihya,” or blood money, as restitution.

Sh129 million ‘Blood Money’ deal

According to the Kenyan media, the victim’s family received a $1 million (approximately £742,000) payment earlier this year. The funds reportedly came from the Kenyan government and the Muslim World League, a prominent Islamic charity.

Munyakho’s execution had been deferred several times due to diplomatic efforts by Kenyan authorities.

His mother, Ms. Kweyu, had led a tireless campaign over the years to prevent her son’s execution. Speaking after his release, she told The Star newspaper: “This satisfaction is going to be with me for a while.” She added, “This time, it is true. The ambassador [in Saudi Arabia] has confirmed it.”

Munyakho had traveled to Saudi Arabia in his early twenties and was employed as a warehouse manager at a Red Sea resort when the fatal incident occurred 14 years ago.

In a 2023 interview, Ms. Kweyu recalled that her son had an altercation with a Yemeni colleague. She claimed the coworker stabbed Munyakho with a letter opener, prompting him to retaliate with the same weapon, fatally injuring the man.

He was initially convicted of manslaughter in 2011 and sentenced to five years in prison. However, an appeal in 2014 resulted in a murder conviction, upgrading his sentence to the death penalty.

Following his release, Sing’oei said Munyakho had performed the Umrah pilgrimage in Mecca. The date of his return to Kenya remains uncertain.