Advertisement
Kenyan Stephen Munyakho on death row in Saudi Arabia freed
22nd July, 2025 01:26 PM
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei has announced that Kenyan Stephen Munyakho, who was on death row in Saudi Arabia over manslaughter, has been freed.
In a statement on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, PS Korir informed the nation that Munyakho had secured his freedom according to the judicial decree.
The PS further promised to offer more information regarding his return to the country after escaping execution.
“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,” Korir’s statement read in part.
“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,” it added.
Execution
Munyakho, the son of veteran journalist Dorothy Kweyu, was due to be executed in June 2024 for the murder of a Yemeni man in 2011.
However, his family reached out to Kenyans, appealing to well-wishers to help them raise the money to help their son be expatriated and evade execution.
The family was seeking to raise over Ksh120 million to save Munyakho from execution. Various groups, Kenyans online, and comedian Eric Omondi were moved by the family’s plea and started a fundraiser.
Their plea caught the attention of the government, which decided to intervene by engaging Saudi Arabian authorities. Korir played an integral role, where he even hosted the veteran journalist to understand the intricacies of the case.
Despite Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi declaring that the government had no budgetary allocation to settle the blood money, the ministry continued to engage with Saudi authorities, which secured an extension on the planned execution.
In March 2025, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) secretary general Hassan Omar said that Munyakho is set to return home after USD1 million (Ksh129 million) was paid.
Paying the blood money
According to Omar, the amount was paid by the Muslim World League following negotiations by Kenyan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Mohamed Ruwange and his Saudi counterpart Khalid Al-Salman.
“They have confirmed that the request has since been honoured, the $1 million paid, and the Kenyan will return home safe. Kenyans should, however, be warned to honour the laws of the territories they live in. The government can intervene, but it has limitations,” Omar said.
However, the committee, which was formed to oversee the fundraising, denied being aware of the money paid.
“The Committee for the release of Stephen Betrand Munyakho, the Kenyan, who was sentenced to execution in Saudi Arabia, is aware of media reports and pronouncements that one of the institutional benefactors has paid the balance of 2.9 million of the 3.5 million Saudi riyals blood money set by the court as a condition for his release. If accurate, this information will be an answered prayer for the many well-wishers supporting the Save Stevo Campaign,” the committee chair Joe Odindo said.
“However, we have yet to receive an official communication as a committee. We have contacted government officials in Kenya and Saudi Arabia and will notify the public of the latest developments.”
