Kenyan on death row in Saudi Arabia to return home after Ksh129.5m settlement
Kenyan on death row in Saudi Arabia to return home after Ksh129.5m settlement
A Kenyan man who has been on death row in Saudi Arabia is set to return home after a $1 million (Ksh129.5 million) settlement was raised to secure his release.
Speaking during Iftar dinner at State House on Tuesday, March 25, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party Secretary-General Omar Hassan Omar said the intervention was made possible through diplomatic efforts led by the Kenyan government, religious leaders and the Saudi Arabian authorities.
Omar revealed that the government had in 2024 sought assistance from the Muslim World League to help secure the release of Stephen Munyakho.
“Last year we brought the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Issa, here to State House. Through SUPKEM and President William Ruto, we made a passionate request to Issa of a Kenyan who was facing execution for murder to try and see whether an intervention can be made,” he stated.
According to Omar, the efforts bore fruit after diplomatic engagements between Kenya and Saudi Arabia resulted in the necessary settlement being paid.
“The ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Kenya and our ambassador to Saudi Arabia have confirmed that the request has since been honoured, the one million dollars has been paid, and the Kenyan will return home safely,” he added.
While confirming the successful intervention, Omar also issued a stern warning to Kenyans living abroad, urging them to adhere to the laws of their host countries to avoid trouble.
“To warn Kenyans, wherever you are, respect the laws of the territories you live in, be it in Vietnam, Malaysia, South Africa, or Saudi Arabia. The government can intervene, but it has its limitations,” he cautioned.
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Munyakho has been on death row in Saudi Arabia following his conviction for the death of a Yemeni colleague, Abdul Halim Mujahid Makrad Saleh, during a workplace altercation in April 2011.
Initially convicted of manslaughter in October 2011, his sentence was later elevated to the death penalty by a Shariah court in June 2014.
Under Sharia law, the victim’s family has the option to accept ‘diya’ or blood money in lieu of execution.
As such, In 2019, Saleh’s family agreed to a compensation of 10 million Saudi riyals (approximately Ksh352.2 million), which was subsequently reduced to 3.5 million riyals (about Ksh120 million) in November 2023.
Due to diplomatic interventions by the Kenyan government, Munyakho’s execution has been postponed multiple times to allow for the settlement of the blood money.
The initial execution date of May 13, 2024, was extended to November 26, 2024, and later postponed by another year to November 26, 2025.
As at now, Munyakho remains incarcerated in Shimeisi Prison in Mecca.
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