Stephen Munyakho's mother Dorothy Kweyu poses with an old family photo at her Katani home in Machakos County on July 22,2025.
Kenyan national Stephen Munyakho, who was freed Tuesday after 14 years in prison in Saudi Arabia, is expected to return home any time now.
Plans for his much-anticipated homecoming are underway, with the Kenyan government already processing his Emergency Travel Documents (ETD).
“Munyakho, a Kenyan national who had been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for manslaughter, has been released and is expected to return home as early as today,” said Mr Jacob Ng’etich, the director of the Press Service in the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
Stephen Munyakho’s picture from 14 years ago.
Mr Munyakho, popularly known as Stevo, was released from Dhaban Prison in Jeddah. According to the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs ministry, Stevo’s release is the result of an intense diplomatic campaign by the Kenyan government.
“The Saudi authorities have agreed to cover the full cost of his deportation, and the Prime Cabinet Secretary’s office is awaiting confirmation of the flight schedule—which could be as early as today,” Mr Ng’etich added.
A high-level diplomatic intervention by President William Ruto and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi helped secure the release of Stevo, who had been on death row for over a decade. President Ruto personally appealed to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, requesting a stay of execution as Kenya pursued a diplomatic resolution. At the same time, Dr Mudavadi wrote to the Saudi Foreign Minister, formally appealing for clemency.
These efforts bore fruit. The execution, initially scheduled for May 15, 2025, was postponed to allow negotiations over the blood money (diyya) demanded by the family of the man he had killed — a delay that ultimately paved the way for Stevo’s release. On Tuesday, after years of fear and uncertainty, Stevo walked free. He was allowed to perform Umrah (minor pilgrimage) and later transferred to a deportation centre to await his flight back to Kenya. The Kenyan government has confirmed that Stevo’s ETD has been processed and final arrangements are underway.
Red Sea resort
Stevo left Kenya in 1996, securing work as a warehouse manager at a Red Sea resort. But in 2011, a workplace altercation led to the death of Abdul Halim Mujahid Makrad Saleh, a Yemeni national.
Stevo was initially sentenced to five years for manslaughter, but the victim’s family appealed the sentence. A Sharia court subsequently enhanced the punishment to death by execution.
Dorothy Kweyu receiving a phone call at her Katani home in Machakos county on July 22, 2025 following the release of her son Stephen Munyakho from a Saudi Arabian prison where he was on death row.
As the years passed, his family launched a relentless “Bring Back Stevo” campaign, partnering with the government and global well-wishers. At a turning point, the Muslim World League stepped in and offered to pay the remaining Sh129 million blood money, after well-wishers had raised Sh20 million, a move that stunned the family, who had already begun plans for another round of fundraising.
Even after the blood money was paid in March 2025, Stevo remained in prison due to bureaucratic delays. On Wednesday, Stevo’s mother, veteran journalist Dorothy Kweyu, said she was looking forward to reuniting with her son after a harrowing 14-year wait.
“For him, it’s a different ballgame. He has always reassured me that in God’s own time, he’ll come back. He is the one who has strengthened me. He bolstered my faith,” she said.
But the wait has not been easy. Just last week, the family held prayers solely for Stevo — still unsure if they would ever see him again.
Executed
The anxiety peaked after she received a chilling BBC article about an Indian girl who was executed in Yemen even after her family paid the blood money.
Stephen Munyakho with his brother, Cyprian (left) during annual leave from his work station in Saudi Arabia, with their mother, Dorothy Kweyu.
“That story haunted me,” she said. “The whole week I’ve not been myself... I didn’t know if he, too, was headed in that direction, where the money has been paid but things just go south.”
Now, as Stevo prepares to return to a country that has changed quite a lot since he left, his family is also preparing for reintegration and healing.
