Tuesday, May 14, 2024 – Saudi Arabia has postponed the execution of one Mr. Stephen Munyakho after intervention from President William Ruto’s government.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced
that it had been able to negotiate the postponement of the execution of Stephen
Munyakho in Saudi Arabia.
This was announced by Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary
Korir Singo'ei.
Singo'ei noted that the authorities in Saudi Arabia had
granted Kenya's request to postpone Munyakho’s execution so as to allow
further negotiation between all parties.
Munyakho, who has since changed his name to Abdulkareem, was
set to be executed on Wednesday, May 15, after he was found guilty of killing a
Yemeni national in Saudi Arabia.
"As we devise strategies to bring this matter to a more
acceptable conclusion, and thereby giving both families the closure they so
urgently need and deserve, we shall continue to lean on the warm and solid
friendship that we have with our Saudi partners, as well as on the goodwill of
all Kenyans," a statement from PS Sing'oei read in part.
"In the coming days, we shall be engaging stakeholders
in Nairobi and Riyadh, including representations from our religious leadership,
to agree on the next urgent steps."
While appreciating the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singo'ei noted that this would not have been possible without diplomatic interventions led by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and Kenya's mission in Riyadh.
Munyakho is the son of veteran journalist Dorothy Kweyu who
had begged the Kenyan government to intervene and save her son from
the hangman.
The Kenyan has been behind bars since 2012 and he had been
asked to raise Ksh150 million to compensate the Yemeni national family or face
execution.
Kweyu sought the government's help after attempts to raise
the hefty sum proved futile.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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