Kenyan Man to be Saved From Execution in Saudi Arabia

Nairobi, Kenya-In a dramatic turn of events, Stephen Munyakho, a 50-year-old Kenyan facing execution in Saudi Arabia, has received a temporary reprieve.

Munyakho, who was due to be executed for the murder of a Yemeni man in 2011, has been granted a stay, much to the relief of his 73-year-old mother, Dorothy Kweyu, who has been tirelessly campaigning to save her son.

The reprieve was announced following intense negotiations involving Kenyan government officials, as Korir Sing'Oei, a senior official in Kenya's foreign ministry, outlined ongoing strategies to bring the case to a more favorable resolution.

The situation involves the complex Islamic legal principle of "diyah" or blood money, which under Sharia law, allows for a financial compensation to be paid to the victim’s family, potentially securing a pardon for the accused.

Munyakho’s mother, a respected journalist in Kenya, has spearheaded public appeals to raise the $1 million required to meet the blood money demand.

Despite these efforts, less than 5% of the necessary amount has been raised so far.

The negotiations have been arduous, with the initial demand from the victim's family being about $2.6 million, which was later negotiated down to $950,000.

Stephen, known affectionately as Stevo, had moved to Saudi Arabia in his early twenties and was managing a warehouse at a Red Sea tourist resort when the fatal incident occurred.

According to his mother, a dispute escalated when a colleague attacked Stevo, leading to the colleague’s death as Stevo retaliated. Initially sentenced to five years for manslaughter, an appeal in 2014 harshly altered his fate to capital punishment.

The emotional toll on Munyakho's family has been immense. His youngest son, Evans Mwanze, now 23, expressed mixed feelings of hope and despair, having not seen his father since he was three years old.

The reality of Stevo’s potential execution by beheading—a common method in Saudi Arabia—looms large over the family, especially after Stevo relayed a harrowing account of witnessing a friend's execution.

The Kenyan government continues to work closely with Saudi authorities, leveraging their diplomatic relations to navigate the complexities of the case. Future negotiations are planned, involving stakeholders in Nairobi and Riyadh, with the hopes of finding a resolution that spares Munyakho’s life and brings him home to his family.

As the community rallies around Ms. Kweyu’s efforts to save her son, the case highlights the broader issues of foreign nationals facing harsh penalties abroad and the intricate dynamics of international law and human rights.