NAIROBI, Kenya, May 9 — Kenya is engaging with Saudi Arabia to extend the deadline for the execution of Stephen Bertrand Munyakho, a Kenyan who is on death row over the killing of a Yemeni citizen in 2011.
Authorities imprisoned Munyakho, 50, at Makkah’s Shimeisi Prison, when Abdul Halim Mujahid Makrad Saleh, a co-worker at the time, died from injuries sustained in an altercation.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei disclosed Wednesday during Citizen TV’s JKLive show, that Nairobi is engaging with Riyadh to push the May 15 deadline set by the Saudi Court to raise the Sh150 million fine required to waive the execution.
“Based on the engagements of our Ambassador in Saudi today [Wednesday], we have a strong belief that the deadline might be extended, particularly when we demonstrate to the court that efforts have been rolled out to try to mobilise some resources to be able to meet this family midway, maybe not entirely the whole way, but at least midway and so demonstrate good faith and commitment to be able to repair this harm that has been occasioned to this family,” Sing’Oei said.
He stated that when the case came to the attention of the Foreign Office, Kenya instructed its envoy in Saudi Arabia Mohamed Ruwange to engage the Saudi government.
“We believe the door is not quite shut yet,” he added.
Raising blood money
While lauding Kenyans for banding together to help Munyakho’s family raise the Sh150 million, Sing’Oei expressed optimism that diplomatic pathways could resolve the issue.
He expressed “deep concern” about the case and assured the convict’s family of the government’s efforts to broker a deal that would save Munyakho from execution.
“This is a case that has been in the books for a couple of years. This young man (Munyakho) inadvertently occasioned the death of another,” he said noting that Saudi laws provide for payment of blood money by way of compensation or capital punishment.
“The circumstances that this gentleman is in are dire.”
PS Sing’Oei added that he remains optimistic that the Saudi courts would review the sentencing which he described as “egregious”.
“Our hope really is within the next couple of weeks we will be able to know the direction, most likely there will be an opportunity to go back to court for a review off this particular penalty because if you look at it, it’s egregious, it’s almost unattainable it’s almost as if you have no option but to go through the death penalty,” he said.
