Kenyan Man Who Faced Death Sentence In Saudi Arabia To Arrive Home Tonight

Stephen Munyakho, a Kenyan man who had been facing a death sentence in Saudi Arabia, is expected to arrive back home tonight, Monday July 28, at 11 pm.

Munyakho, who now goes by the name Abdulkareem, had been imprisoned in Shimeisi Prison in the Governorate of Mecca since 2011. He was released on July 22, 2025, after the court’s conditions for his freedom were fulfilled.

“He will land at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at 11 pm from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,” the statement from the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary says.

His return had initially been planned for July 23 but was delayed due to logistical issues.

Munyakho had been working in Saudi Arabia as a warehouse manager when a confrontation with a Yemeni colleague in April 2011 turned deadly.

The colleague later died from the injuries sustained in the altercation. Munyakho was first sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter, but an appeal led to the charge being elevated to murder, which carried a death sentence by the sword.

The execution was put on hold after the family of the deceased agreed to accept diyya (blood money) in line with Islamic law.

The Kenyan government, through the intervention of Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and support from the Muslim World League, managed to raise Ksh129 million earlier this year to facilitate his release.

Munyakho was granted his freedom and permitted to perform Umrah (minor pilgrimage) before being transferred to a deportation centre as he awaited final clearance for return to Kenya.