A Kenyan national, Stephen Bertrand Munyakho—also known as Abdulkareem—who had been on death row in Saudi Arabia since 2012, is set to return home following payment of a KSh 129.5 million (approximately $1 million) settlement. The fund was provided by the Muslim World League, acting after a direct appeal by President William Ruto, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary‑General Hassan Omar announced at a State House Iftar event in Nairobi  .

Munyakho was initially convicted of manslaughter in October 2011, after a fatal altercation with a colleague in Riyadh. In June 2014, a Sharia court upgraded the conviction to murder, making him subject to a death sentence under Saudi law. The execution was repeatedly postponed, partly because one of the victim’s sons was a minor and needed to reach the age of majority to give legal consent  .

Negotiations over the blood money (“diya”) began with the victim’s family demanding 10 million riyals (roughly KSh 352 million), but the amount was later reduced to 3.5 million riyals (approximately KSh 130 million). With the final payment now confirmed, Munyakho is expected to return to Kenya imminently  .

Officials confirmed that both the Saudi Ambassador to Kenya and Kenya’s Ambassador in Riyadh personally verified the outcome of the negotiations. Kenya’s government emphasized that while it supported diplomatic efforts, its direct financial role was limited. Hassan Omar issued a public caution to Kenyan nationals residing abroad, reminding them to respect local laws and noting that government intervention has limits  .

Munyakho’s case garnered national attention after media campaigns led by his mother, veteran journalist Dorothy Kweyu. Efforts from activists and contributions from Kenyan communities raised roughly KSh 18–20 million toward the cause, though significant gaps remained until the final settlement payment was confirmed  .

His release brings to a close a 13-year legal ordeal. Munyakho had been detained at Shimeisi Prison in Mecca, enduring date extensions for his execution while negotiations persisted. Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, Korir Sing’oei, had earlier confirmed diplomatic success in securing postponements to allow negotiations for blood money payment  .

The resolution of this case highlights both the personal and diplomatic complexity of capital punishment cases involving Kenyan citizens abroad. The government has reaffirmed that while it can advocate diplomatically, citizens bear responsibility for complying with foreign legal and cultural norms.