Stephen Munyakho, the Kenyan man who spent more than a decade on death row in Saudi Arabia before narrowly escaping execution, says he had already accepted that he might never return home, until Kenyans and well-wishers stepped in to save his life.
Munyakho spoke at Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki’s office in Ganjoni, where he and his mother, veteran journalist Dorothy Kweyu, visited to express their gratitude for the senator’s critical role in securing his release. He said he stayed calm throughout his years behind bars, trusting that his fate was in God’s hands.
“I believe my going there had already been written by God. The incident was just a reason for what had been ordained to happen,” he said.
“He who opened the door for me to go there is the same one who had the key for me to leave. I left everything to Him.”
To show their appreciation, Munyakho and his mother gifted Senator Faki a box of dates and honey.
Munyakho, now 43, had been working in Saudi Arabia when he was convicted in 2011 of murdering a Yemeni colleague. What began as a five-year manslaughter sentence was upgraded to a murder conviction in 2014 after an appeal, sending him to death row. He came close to execution twice.
Under Islamic law, a death sentence can be lifted if the victim’s family agrees to accept blood money (diyya). After years of negotiations, the family finally accepted compensation.
Senator Faki said the execution would have proceeded had Kenyans not urgently mobilized funds to save him.
“We appealed to Christians, Muslims and Kenyans of all faiths, but only Ksh20 million had been raised. We were desperate,” Faki said. “The government and the World Muslim League stepped in and topped up the rest, we saved a life.”
The total amount required was $1 million (about KSh134 million).
Faki noted that Munyakho’s case reflects the broader struggles many Kenyans face across the Gulf and other countries, including unexplained deaths, arbitrary detentions, mistreatment, and exploitation. He urged the government to strengthen protections for Kenyans seeking work abroad.
Munyakho returned home on July 29, but his family has been coping with multiple tragedies since.
“We’ve lost so many relatives. At some point we had burials back-to-back,” Kweyu said.
“Those who are alive should be given their flowers. We came to Mombasa to say thank you.”
Senator Faki also highlighted other distressing cases of Kenyans suffering abroad, from migrant workers jailed over misunderstandings to retirees denied their benefits, and even a Kenyan detained in Ethiopia after accidentally boarding the wrong connecting flight.
“Many Kenyans go abroad seeking greener pastures, only for it to turn into bitter herbs,” he said.
The post Munyakho Breaks Silence After 13 Years on Death Row: ‘Only God Held the Key to My Freedom’ appeared first on Bossnana.
