Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary (PS) Korir Sing’oei announced on Thursday, October 24, the postponement of Stephen Munyakho’s execution, a Kenyan man imprisoned in Saudi Arabia.
Korir revealed that Saudi authorities have lifted the execution order for one year.
“I am pleased to inform you that after strenuous negotiations involving our Mission in Riyadh, Saudi authorities, and the widow, the impending execution judgment against Stephen Munyakho (Abdulkareem), originally scheduled for November 26, 2024, has been postponed for another year to allow the parties to settle outstanding obligations,” he stated.
PS Korir added, “We will continue relying on the cordial relations between our two countries to conclude this matter. We also appreciate the goodwill of all Kenyans, partners, and stakeholders. I commend Ambassador Ruwange for his leadership on this important issue.”
In April 2011, Saudi authorities convicted Stephen Munyakho of killing a Yemeni national. He initially received a manslaughter conviction, but the victim’s family appealed, leading to an upgrade of the charges to murder and a subsequent death sentence.
During the 2014 proceedings, the court overturned his initial five-year sentence and imposed a death sentence by sword instead.
Munyakho has spent 13 years in prison. He was initially scheduled for execution on May 15, 2024, but authorities later extended the deadline to July 26, 2024, and then postponed it again by four months to November 26, 2024.
After negotiations, the victim’s family accepted the Diya, or blood money option, a form of financial compensation under Islamic law.
Initially set at 10 million Saudi Arabian Riyals (SAR), approximately KES 400 million, further discussions led the deceased’s family to reduce it to 3.5 million SAR, about KES 150 million.
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