NAIROBI, Kenya – Stephen Munyakho, the Kenyan man who narrowly escaped execution in Saudi Arabia after a 14-year legal ordeal, is expected to arrive in Nairobi tonight, Monday, July 28, following his release from prison.
Munyakho, now known as Abdulkareem after converting to Islam during his incarceration, will land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at 11 p.m. aboard a flight from Jeddah, according to a statement by the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary.
His return marks the end of a harrowing journey that began in April 2011, when he was arrested and later sentenced to death after a fatal altercation with a Yemeni colleague while working as a warehouse manager in Mecca.
Initially convicted of manslaughter and handed a five-year sentence, Munyakho’s fate took a drastic turn when a successful appeal upgraded the charge to murder, which in Saudi Arabia is punishable by death — often by public beheading.
However, the execution was deferred after the victim’s family agreed to accept diyya (blood money) instead of enforcing the sentence.
The breakthrough came after years of diplomatic back-and-forth, spearheaded by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who personally wrote to the Saudi Foreign Minister requesting clemency.
KENYAN RELEASED FROM DEATH ROW IN SAUDI ARABIA SET TO RETURN TONIGHT.
In early 2025, the Kenyan government, working with the Muslim World League, raised Ksh129 million to meet the diyya demand, effectively securing Munyakho’s freedom.
Following his release on July 22, Munyakho performed Umrah, a minor Islamic pilgrimage, before being transferred to a deportation facility for processing.
His homecoming was initially set for July 23, but the transfer was delayed due to logistical reasons.
