The Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has officially announced the release of Mr. Stephen Munyakho, a Kenyan national who had been on death row in Saudi Arabia for manslaughter.
In a detailed statement issued on Wednesday, July 23, the Ministry confirmed that Mr. Munyakho has been freed and is expected to return home as early as today.
According to the statement, the release is the outcome of a high-level diplomatic intervention led by President William Ruto, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary H.E. Musalia Mudavadi, Principal Secretary Dr. Korir Sing’oei, and officers from the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
The Ministry disclosed that the execution, originally set for May 15, 2025, was postponed after Dr. Mudavadi wrote to the Saudi Foreign Minister appealing for clemency.
This effort, combined with a direct appeal by President Ruto to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, led to months of diplomatic negotiations that culminated in Mr. Munyakho’s release.
As detailed in the press release, the turning point came when the deceased’s family agreed to accept diyya (blood money) totaling approximately KSh 129 million.
The Ministry acknowledged the financial and emotional burden placed on Mr. Munyakho’s family in Kenya and credited both PCS Mudavadi and PS Sing’oei for persuading the victim’s family to lower the compensation amount to facilitate a faster resolution.
Following his release on Tuesday, Mr. Munyakho was permitted to perform Umrah (a minor pilgrimage) before being transferred to a deportation centre.
The Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh has issued him an Emergency Travel Document, as his passport had expired during incarceration.
The Ministry also noted that Saudi authorities have agreed to cover the full cost of his deportation, and that arrangements for his return flight are underway.
H.E. Mudavadi, in the statement, expressed joy at Mr. Munyakho’s impending reunion with his family and praised the multi-agency collaboration that secured his freedom.
He further emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to safeguarding the welfare and rights of Kenyan citizens abroad.
The Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs concluded by thanking the Saudi government for their cooperation in the matter, reaffirming Kenya’s dedication to diplomacy and the protection of its nationals overseas.
Written By Rodney Mbua
