I did not intend to kill… I’m banking on you, pleads Kenyan facing execution in Saudi Arabia
Stephen Munyakho with his brother, Cyprian (left) during annual leave from his work station in Saudi Arabia, with their mother, Dorothy Kweyu.
What you need to know:
- Stevo left Kenya for Saudi Arabia in 1996 in search of employment and landed a job as a warehouse manager at a Red Sea tourist resort.
- But in 2011, he was involved in a physical altercation with a colleague at work, a clash that resulted in the death of the Yemeni citizen.
Each sunrise reminds Stephen Bertrand Munyakho, alias Stevo, that his date with the hangman in Riyadh is inching closer— shadowing his every breath.
On Tuesday morning, his voice cracked as he spoke to his mother, heavy with sorrow and burdened by regret.
“Nawaomba, nawasihi mpaaze sauti, sikukusudia kamwe kutoa uhai wa mwenzangu (I beg you, I plead with you, spread the word that I never meant to take my colleague’s life,” he told his mother Dorothy Kweyu Musopole.
Stevo, the first-born son of the veteran journalist, is haunted, not by guilt, but by the relentless twist of fate.
A single, fateful altercation that turned into a tragedy he never intended now threatens to cost him everything.
Read: Dorothy Kweyu: A Sh123m demand and a mother’s cry to save her son from Saudi executioner in 10 days
Stevo left Kenya for Saudi Arabia in 1996 in search of employment and landed a job as a warehouse manager at a Red Sea tourist resort.
But in 2011, he was involved in a physical altercation with a colleague at work, a clash that resulted in the death of the Yemeni citizen, identified as Abdul Halim Mujahid Makrad Saleh.
Although Stevo, who was injured too, was initially sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter, a Shariah court sentenced him to death following an appeal by the victim’s family.
The Sharia court sentenced him to execution on Wednesday May 15, 2024, for the murder of Saleh on April 9, 2011.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei earlier this year announced ongoing diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia to halt Munyakho’s execution pending further negotiations.
And on October 23, 2024, Dr Sing’Oei said the reconciliation committee had extended the grace period by a year from November 22, 2024 to give Mrs Musopole’s family time to raise the full amount required.
The Yemeni family of the deceased had initially demanded Sh400 million compensation but the exchange deal was later scaled down to Sh150 million in blood money.
Blood money is the compensation paid by a perpetrator to the victim’s family as a penalty for the crime.
Stevo is currently locked up at Shimeisi Prison in Makkah region.
Following the extension of the grace period, the “Bring Back Steve” campaign committee has renewed its appeal for financial support to save Stevo’s life.
This is the final chance to raise the full amount of Sh150 million, without which, “the (aggrieved) family will authorise the Saudi Arabian authorities to execute Stephen,” the committee’s Stand-in Chairperson Wangethi Mwangi said.
“This committee, on behalf of Mrs Musopole, who is present here, sincerely thanks the family of the late Abdul Halim Mujahid Makrad Saleh, especially the widow, Nadia, for extending grace to Stephen. We also thank the government for taking up Stephen’s case and negotiating on his behalf.
“We are, therefore, renewing our fundraising initiative by appealing to Kenyans, and all people of good will to donate generously to this cause. By our calculation, if 100,000 people send in Sh1, 000 each, we will raise Sh100 million, which will get us closer to our target,” he added.
In its resolution on October 23, 2024, Mr Wangethi explained, the reconciliatory committee noted that the extension of the grace period was the final one, after which Saleh’s family would have its ‘right to retribution’.
This means that if the full amount of Sh150 million is not raised, the family will authorise the Saudi Arabian authorities to execute Stevo.
“As we’ve pointed out before, Sh150 million is an astronomical figure, way out of reach for Mrs Musopole and her family, who are of humble means,” Mr Wangethi said.
So far, the family has managed to raise Sh20 million.
“Our sincere gratitude goes to everyone who has contributed to this effort,” Mr Wangethi said. “However, we still have a long way to go.”
The committee further appealed to well-wishers to send in whatever they can.
“No amount is too little to save Stephen. In particular, we appeal to social media influencers with large numbers of followers to lend their voices to this cause.”
Contributions should be sent through Paybill No 8056675 (Let’s Bring Back Stevo); Account: Your name; or send via M-Pesa to +254 702 878717 (Dorothy Musopole).
