Stephen Munyakho, the Kenyan who had spent more than a decade behind bars in Saudi Arabia, including several years on death row, landed back in the country early Tuesday morning, returning home a free man to a warm and emotional welcome from his family and friends.
At exactly 12:50 am, the wheels of a flight from Jeddah touched down at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Among the passengers disembarking was Munyakho, whose long legal ordeal in Riyadh’s Al-Shimeisi Prison had captured national attention and spurred a campaign under the banner #BringBackStevo.
Outside the VIP lounge, anticipation was thick. A small crowd had gathered, family members, close friends, and supporters, some wearing branded t-shirts and carrying banners that had become symbols of the fight for Munyakho’s freedom. Some had waited for hours. Others had campaigned for years.
Stephen Abdikareem Munyakho, the 51-year-old Kenyan who has been on death row in Saudi Arabia for 14 years, is home; his family welcomed him at JKIA, Nairobi, on July 28, 2025.
Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation
Dressed in a light blue cotton shirt and khaki trousers, Munyakho emerged from the terminal flanked by his parents — his mother Dorothy Kweyu to his left, his father Reuben Maero to his right.
At first composed, he raised his hand in a gentle wave, acknowledging the cheering crowd.
But the moment overwhelmed him. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he was pulled into a flood of hugs, prayers, and quiet sobs.
“Thank you, Jesus. Thank you Allah for this wonderful, wonderful gift of life. Thank you for each and everyone,” said his mother, Dorothy Kweyu.
“I’m so grateful, you opened your doors, wiped away my tears, and promised you would deliver my first born, the first fruit of my womb.”
For years, Munyakho’s fate seemed sealed. Convicted in a case involving the death of a Saudi national, he faced the death penalty and lived under constant threat of execution.
His case became a rallying point for activists and diaspora Kenyans, led by his family, who described the fight as a "mission impossible."
That mission turned around earlier this year when the Muslim World League unexpectedly stepped in and paid the remaining Sh129 million blood money required for his release — an act that stunned the family.
This came after well-wishers had raised Sh20 million. They had been planning another fundraising drive after struggling to raise the Sh150 million demanded by the victim’s family.
Stephen Abdikareem Munyakho, the 51-year-old Kenyan who has been on death row in Saudi Arabia for 14 years, is home; his friends and relatives welcomed him at JKIA, Nairobi, on July 28, 2025.
Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation
Speaking briefly to the media after his arrival, Munyakho said: “My presence here today is nothing short of a miracle… It’s wonderful to be back home. But please allow me some time to rest and reorganise myself before I can speak further.”
Among those who welcomed him was Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei, who acknowledged the emotional and political weight of the case.
“It is really my joy and pleasure to receive Munyakho home. A year ago, precisely on May 14, 2024, Mama Dorothy Kweyu came to my office to plead with government to do what it could to bring Stevo back home,” he said.
“Even as I told Mama Dorothy we would do everything that we could to bring Steve back, I honestly wasn’t sure how we would do it.”
The Bring Back Stevo Committee, which spearheaded the campaign for his release, described his return as the beginning of a longer journey.
“Words cannot fully express our joy — especially that of his family and friends as well as his parents who are both here — at this long-awaited reunion,” said committee chairperson Joseph Odindo.
Munyakho headed home to reunite with his extended family and begin a new chapter, one rooted in freedom, resilience, and the strength of collective hope.
