Stephen Munyakho, the Kenyan man who faced execution in Saudi Arabia, has been freed and is set to return to the country.
Confirming the news, the Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, Korir Sing’oei noted that Munyakho was released after the judicial decree was fully satisfied.
Stephen Munyakho, who worked as a warehouse manager, had been set for execution by the sword after being involved in a fight with a colleague in April 2011.
Stephen Munyakho freed from execution in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Courtesy.
The colleague later succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment.
Following a trial, he was found guilty of manslaughter in 2013 and handed a five-year prison sentence.
However, the victim’s family appealed the case, which eventually led to a death sentence for Munyakho.
Munyakho has been in custody for 13 years in Shimeisi Prison in Saudi Arabia, before the Kenyan government intervened.
In May 2024, the Saudi government agreed to put the execution on hold following negotiations between the Kenyan and Saudi governments.
As a result of the negotiations, both countries reached an agreement, and in March 2025, a Ksh. 129 million settlement was paid for his release.
