Steve Munyakho Returns to Kenya After Death Row Release in Saudi Arabia

Steve Abdulkareem Munyakho, the 51-year-old Kenyan national who had been on death row in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since 2011, arrived in Nairobi early Tuesday morning, July 29, 2025. He was accompanied by Kenya’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Ruwange, and received at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by family, friends, and Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei, amidst media presence.

Munyakho’s release was announced on July 22, 2025, by Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei, who confirmed that the Kenyan Mission in Riyadh had verified Munyakho performed his Umrah (minor pilgrimage) upon release. Sing’oei stated, “We shall provide further details regarding his arrival in the country. I commend all who have offered their support towards securing this outcome.”

Upon his arrival, Munyakho addressed those present, stating, “I’m glad to be back home. My presence here today is nothing short of a miracle, and I want to begin by thanking Allah for the gift of life.” He further thanked individuals who prayed for him and contributed to his freedom and return. “Some of you I know, but the vast majority, in your tens of thousands were simply touched by the misfortune of a total stranger,” he said. Munyakho requested time to rest, adding, “I’m grateful to Allah for this second chance that I have been granted. It’s wonderful to be back home, but please allow me some time to rest and reorganise myself before I can speak further.”

Munyakho’s incarceration stemmed from a fatal altercation in April 2011 with a Yemeni colleague, Abdul Halim Mujahid Makrad Saleh, while Munyakho was working as a warehouse manager in Saudi Arabia.

The announcement of Munyakho’s release and the diplomatic processes involved were detailed by the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The statement attributed his release to “sustained diplomatic negotiation spearheaded by President William Ruto, the Prime Cabinet Secretary, and the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, H.E. Musalia Mudavadi, Dr. Korir Sing’oei, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, and the dedicated staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Affairs.”

The Kenyan government’s statement pointed out previous interventions, including Prime Cabinet Secretary Mudavadi’s address to the Senate plenary in July of the previous year, where he confirmed the Ministry had intervened to halt the execution. He officially wrote to the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, leading to the deferment of the execution, which had not taken place.

The statement further specified: “Immediately after the death sentence was pronounced, Dr. Mudavadi wrote to the Saudi Foreign Minister and appealed for clemency. 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.” President Ruto also directly intervened by speaking with Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, ruler of Saudi Arabia, to request a delay as Kenya pursued diplomatic avenues.

“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 read.

Munyakho’s death sentence, handed down last year, was deferred after the family of the deceased accepted “diyya” (blood money), amounting to approximately KSh 129 million, facilitating his release. The statement noted that Prime Cabinet Secretary Mudavadi had met with Munyakho’s family in Kenya, and both the PCS and PS Sing’oei worked to persuade the deceased’s family to lower the compensation amount.

Upon his release, the Kenyan Embassy to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs facilitated Munyakho’s performance of Umrah before his transfer from prison to a deportation center. An Emergency Travel Document was prepared by the Embassy as his passport had expired. Saudi authorities agreed to cover the full cost of his deportation.