Stephen Abdukareem Munyakho, a Kenyan national who had been on death row in Saudi Arabia for 13 years, has been freed.
The news of his release was confirmed by Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei, who said that Munyakho was set free on Tuesday, July 22, at 10 am and is set to travel back home.
“Our Mission in Riyadh has confirmed that Steve performed his Umra (minor pilgrimage) upon release,” Sing’oei said in a X post.
“We shall provide further details regarding his arrival in the country. I commend all who have offered their support towards securing this outcome,” he added.
Munyakho was working in Saudi Arabia as a warehouse manager and was sentenced to death by the sword after being involved in a fight that led to the death of a Yemeni colleague in April 2011.
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Initially charged with manslaughter, his sentence was later upgraded to murder, carrying the death penalty under Shariah law.
He was required to raise Sh150 million as diyya (blood money) to compensate the family of his alleged murder victim failure to which he would face execution.
His mother, Dorothy Kweyu, a veteran journalist, fought tirelessly, appealing to the Kenyan government, human rights organisations, and well-wishers to raise the amount.
Munyakho was due to be executed last May, but the Muslim World League, with the support of the government and religious leaders, facilitated the payment of the diyya to the victim’s family.
In March, UDA party Secretary-General Hassan Omar announced that Nairobi and Riyadh had reached a release agreement, and a $1 million (about Sh129 million) settlement was paid.
The payment led to the commutation of his sentence and eventual release.
