Nairobi erupted in emotional scenes as Stephen Munyakho, now known as Abdulkareem, stepped onto Kenyan soil at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) late Monday night. The returning citizen, who spent 14 years facing execution in Saudi Arabia, was met by weeping family members, friends, and senior government officials in a hero’s welcome marking the end of a grueling national ordeal.
Munyakho’s journey home followed the dramatic resolution of a murder case that had kept him imprisoned since 2011. While working as a warehouse manager in Saudi Arabia, Munyakho was involved in a violent altercation with a Yemeni colleague in April 2011. The colleague succumbed to his injuries, leading to Munyakho’s initial conviction for manslaughter and a five-year sentence. However, an appeal court overturned this verdict, elevating the charge to murder and sentencing him to death by beheading.
His freedom came through a complex legal and diplomatic process rooted in Islamic law. The execution was halted after the victim’s family agreed to accept diyya (blood money), a financial compensation mechanism permitted under Sharia. This critical breakthrough followed intense intervention by Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, who personally wrote to the Saudi Foreign Minister pleading for clemency.
The Kenyan government, supported by the Muslim World League, spearheaded a massive fundraising effort, ultimately securing the Ksh129 million required to settle the compensation claim. “Munyakho’s release followed the completion of judicial processes in Saudi Arabia, culminating in his freedom on July 22, 2025,” confirmed a statement from Mudavadi’s office.
Following the settlement, Munyakho was released from Shimeisi Prison in the Mecca Governorate. He performed Umrah (the minor Islamic pilgrimage) as a free man before being transferred to a deportation centre to await clearance for his long-awaited return to Kenya.
His arrival at JKIA shortly before midnight brought overwhelming relief and joy to his family, who had endured over a decade of anguish under “extremely difficult conditions.” They described his homecoming as “nothing short of a miracle,” finally closing a case that had captivated and concerned Kenyans for years.
Munyakho’s return represents a significant diplomatic achievement and the culmination of a relentless effort by the Kenyan government, religious organizations, and a family who never gave up hope. His walk across the JKIA tarmac ended 14 years of incarceration and uncertainty, reuniting a Kenyan son with his homeland.
