Saudi Arabia Postpones Execution of Stephen Munyakho

Saudi Arabia Postpones Execution of Kenyan in Prison for Over 13 Years

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary (PS) Korir Sing’oei has announced that the execution of a Kenyan in Saudi Arabia, Stephen Munyakho has been postponed.

Korir in a statement on Thursday October 24 announced that the execution of Stephen Munyakho has been lifted for a period of one year.

“I am pleased to inform that after strenuous negotiations between our Mission in Riyadh, Saudi Authorities and the Widow, the impending execution of judgement against Stephen Munyakho (Abdulkareem) due for November 26, 2024, has been postponed for another one year to allow parties settle outstanding obligations,” he said.

“We shall continue relying on our two countries’ cordial relations towards concluding the matter. The goodwill of all Kenyans, partners, and stakeholders is equally appreciated. I commend Ambassador Ruwange for his leadership on this important matter.”

Stephen who has stayed in prison for 13 years was due to be executed (death sentence).

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.

Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Kenya Dr Korir Sing’oei. PHOTO-Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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Execution Charges Against Stephen Munyakho in Saudi Arabia

Munyakho was found guilty of killing a Yemeni national in Saudi Arabia in April 2011.

Reports indicated that he was engaged in a fight while working as a warehouse manager with Abdul Halim Mujahid Markad Saleh whose family currently lives in Saudi Arabia.

Munyakho’s mother and former Nation Media Group (NMG) journalist Dorothy Kweyu said Abdul, who stabbed Stephen in the thigh and thumb during the scuffle, walked himself to hospital where he later died.

Thereafter, Stephen Munyakho was tried for murder and received a five-year imprisonment, but the Yemeni family later appealed the sentence in Shariah Court, citing the ‘reciprocal right to retaliate’.

Manslaughter Turned Death Sentence

Initially, he was jailed for manslaughter, but an appeal by the deceased’s family saw him handed a death sentence after charges were upgraded to murder.

The case, heard in 2014, overturned the ruling of a five-year sentence to a death sentence by the sword.

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“However, this could not be done at the moment because a child (5 years) from the Yemeni family was involved. He was supposed to turn 18 to have a say on the execution of his father’s killer,” Kweyu said.

After negotiations, the victim’s family agreed to the Diya or blood money option—a financial compensation under Islamic law paid to the victim or heirs of the victim.

The initially agreed amount was 10 million Saudi Arabian Riyals (SAR) (equivalent to Ksh 400 million).

However, further negotiation between the two families would see the deceased family reduce the “blood money” to 3.5 million SAR (equivalent to Ksh. 150,000,000 at that time), which must be paid before his release.

Dorothy Kweyu has been pleading to Kenyans to help her raise funds to save her son, from execution in Saudi Arabia.

She appealed to the public to donate in a bid to meet their target of Ksh 150 million that is required to secure his freedom.

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