Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has issued an update on Stephen Munyakho, a Kenyan national who had been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for manslaughter.
This comes after Principal Secretary (PS) Korir Sing’oei on Tuesday, July 22, announced that Munyakho has been released and is expected to return home.
PCS Mudavadi, in a statement on Wednesday, said that the release followed a sustained diplomatic negotiation spearheaded by President William Ruto, PS Sing’oei, and the dedicated staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Affairs.
According to the PCS, Munyakho was facilitated to perform Umrah (minor pilgrimage) at the request of the Kenyan Embassy to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, upon his release yesterday.
This was before he was transferred from prison to a deportation centre awaiting clearance for immediate deportation.
When will Stephen Munyakho arrive in Kenya?
Musalia further said that the Embassy has already prepared an Emergency Travel Document (ETD) for Munyakho, as his passport had expired during his incarceration.
Also Read: Kenyan Facing Execution in Saudi Arabia Freed After 13 Years
The PCS, at the same time, revealed that Saudi authorities have agreed to cover the full cost of the Kenyan’s deportation, and that the deportation flight could happen today.
“The Saudi authorities have agreed to cover the full cost of his deportation, and the PCS is now awaiting confirmation of the time of his deportation flight, which could happen today. The government will communicate this as soon as the details become clear,” read part of the statement.
“H.E. Mudavadi expressed his happiness that Mr. Munyakho will be back soon to reunite with his family and commended the collaborative efforts that led to his release. The PCS and the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs have reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding the rights and welfare of Kenyans abroad and thanked the Saudi authorities for their cooperation in resolving the matter.”
Mudavadi explains intervention taken to secure the release
In July last 2024, Mudavadi confirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had intervened to stop the execution and noted that he had officially written to the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, intervening on behalf of Munyakho.
This intervention led to a postponement of the execution, initially set for May 15, to allow negotiations over the blood money demanded by the deceased’s family.
Also Read: Saudi Arabia Postpones Execution of Kenyan in Prison for Over 13 Years
President Ruto also intervened by speaking directly with Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, requesting a delay in the execution as Kenya pursued the matter diplomatically.
“Therefore, Mr. Munyahko’s release is the culmination of months of high-level diplomatic engagement between Nairobi and Riyadh, underscoring Kenya’s commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of its citizens abroad,” the statement adds.
Munyakho’s death sentence, handed down last year, was deferred after the family of the deceased accepted diyya (blood money) amounting to approximately Ksh129 million, paving the way for his release.
At the time, Mudavadi met with Munyakho’s family in Kenya, who were struggling to raise the substantial compensation demanded.
The PCS and PS Sing’oei worked to persuade the family of the deceased to lower the amount to enable a quicker resolution.
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