After more than a decade behind bars and facing the death penalty, Stephen Munyakho a Kenyan man once sentenced to execution in Saudi Arabia has finally been released. The announcement came on Tuesday from Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei, marking the end of a long, high-stakes diplomatic and religious effort to save Munyakho’s life.
Now known as Abdulkareem following his conversion to Islam, Munyakho was freed from Shimeisi Prison in Mecca at 10 a.m. local time. His release came after the Saudi judicial process was fully satisfied, and he wasted no time fulfilling a deeply personal rite performing the Umrah pilgrimage in Islam’s holiest city shortly after walking free.
“Our Mission in Riyadh has confirmed that Steve performed his Umrah upon release,” PS Sing’oei shared in a post on X, referring to the minor pilgrimage that holds spiritual significance for Muslims and is often seen as a gesture of renewal and gratitude.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is expected to provide further updates on Munyakho’s return to Kenya in the coming days.
His release ends a 13-year ordeal that began in April 2011, when he was involved in a deadly altercation with a Yemeni colleague while working as a warehouse manager in Saudi Arabia. The colleague died from his injuries, and Munyakho was later sentenced to death by beheading.
Originally scheduled for execution in May last year, his fate hung in the balance until intense behind-the-scenes negotiations including the involvement of religious leaders prompted Saudi authorities to suspend the sentence.
By March of this year, it became clear that progress had been made. UDA Party Secretary-General Hassan Omar announced that both the Kenyan and Saudi governments had agreed on terms for Munyakho’s release. Central to the deal was the payment of $1 million (approx. Ksh 129 million) as compensation, commonly referred to in Islamic law as diya or “blood money.”
The negotiations were not just political. Religion played a pivotal role. One of the key figures in the breakthrough was Muhammad Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, who was part of high-level talks and had previously attended a State House Iftar dinner in Nairobi hosted by President William Ruto.
PS Sing’oei thanked all parties who contributed to what many are calling a remarkable diplomatic victory. “I commend all who have offered their support towards securing this outcome,” he said.
As Abdulkareem prepares to board a plane home, his story serves as a reminder of the power of diplomacy, faith, and collective effort to save a life once nearly lost.
