Kenyan Facing Execution In Saudi Arabia Freed
Sing'oei stated that Munyakho’s release came after all conditions set by the court were fully met.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary (PS) Korir Sing’oei has confirmed the release of Stephen Munyakho, a Kenyan who had been facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, July 22, Sing'oei stated that Munyakho’s release came after all conditions set by the court were fully met.
The PS noted that Kenya’s Embassy in Riyadh has confirmed Steve undertook his Umra (minor pilgrimage) after being released.
"Steve Abdukareem Munyakho, the Kenyan national who has been on death row in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is free as at 10 am today pursuant to the full satisfaction of judicial decree," Sing'oei stated on his X account.
An image of Saudi Arabia's capital city, Riyadh, at night. /FILE
"Our Mission in Riyadh has confirmed that Steve performed his Umra (minor pilgrimage) upon release. We shall provide further details regarding his arrival in the country. I commend all who have offered their support towards securing this outcome."
Munyakho was originally scheduled for execution on May 15, 2024, but the authorities extended the deadline to July 26, 2024, and then further postponed it by four months to November 26, 2024. The last postponement had come on October 24, 2024.
Munyakho is the son of veteran journalist Dorothy Kweyu, who had begged the Kenyan government to intervene and save him from the hangman's noose.
"The execution is too terrible to contemplate. Therefore, we appeal to you all to help us raise this amount," she stated, asking 1 million Kenyans to donate Ksh150 each.
The Kenyan who worked as a warehouse manager was involved in a fight with a colleague in April 2011, which resulted in the colleague’s death while receiving treatment.
Initially, Munyakho was convicted of manslaughter in 2013 and sentenced to five years in prison. However, after the victim’s family appealed the ruling, his sentence was upgraded to the death penalty.
After years of appealing the case, the family opted for the alternative solution, which is paying the blood money amounting to Ksh150 million.
He remained in custody at Shimeisi Prison in Saudi Arabia for 13 years, since April 9, 2011, until the Kenyan government stepped in.
In May 2024, following negotiations between Kenyan and Saudi authorities, the Saudi government agreed to suspend his execution.
