Stephen Munyakho, the Kenyan man who spent 14 years on death row in Saudi Arabia, has returned home, expressing heartfelt gratitude to Kenyans for their unwavering support during his ordeal.
Munyakho arrived in Nairobi on the morning of Tuesday, July 29, ending a journey that began in 2011 with his arrest and eventual conviction for murder. Speaking during a reception hosted by Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi at the Railways Headquarters, he said the moment felt unreal.
“Words cannot express it,” Munyakho said of his return to freedom.
He thanked Kenyans who supported him through the “Bring Back Stevo” campaign, which helped raise awareness and funds for his release.
“Your prayers and contributions never went unnoticed. I feel indebted and don’t know how I can ever pay back—just accept my humble thanks,” he added.
Munyakho had been working as a warehouse manager at a Red Sea tourist resort when an altercation occurred in April 2011 with a Yemeni colleague. According to reports, he was stabbed first and retaliated using the same weapon. The colleague later died in hospital.
Initially convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to five years in prison, his case was later escalated to murder after the victim’s family appealed. Under Saudi Arabia’s Sharia law, this resulted in a death sentence by beheading.
For years, Munyakho’s fate hung in the balance as the victim’s family demanded diyya—blood money—before granting a pardon. Relief finally came in early 2025 when the Muslim World League agreed to pay the full amount of approximately Sh130 million (about one million dollars).
He was released from Shimeisi Prison in Mecca on July 22 and deported to Kenya using an emergency travel document issued at the expense of the Saudi authorities.
During the reception, Mudavadi assured Kenyans that the government remains committed to assisting citizens facing legal challenges abroad.
“There are close to 1,000 Kenyans currently in conflict with the law in various countries,” he revealed.
“These are Kenyans in many different countries and we could only give you the numbers because we also have to respect the privacy of these individuals and their families,” he explained. “Our role is to be supportive in trying to facilitate humane treatment and possible release.”
He also dismissed claims that the government has neglected Kenyans in distress abroad, in reference to recent concerns about the alleged abduction and torture of activists in Tanzania.
“We work, we communicate, we follow diplomatic channels and we are doing it every day—it’s part of our remit. So it’s not factual when someone says that the Kenyan government has abandoned its citizens. That’s not true,” Mudavadi said.
