Stephen Munyakho: ‘I face death in Saudi Arabia but I know you are with me’
Stephen Munyakho with his brother, Cyprian (left) during annual leave from his work station in Saudi Arabia, with their mother, Dorothy Kweyu.
Nation.Africa attended a press briefing on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, that we will deliver as a letter from a Kenyan in jail in Saudi Arabia…
They call me Stevo, hence the reason you see a campaign about me being named “Let’s Bring Back Stevo”. It is asking you to send some money, any money, to spare me from being executed by the government here in Saudi Arabia.
Why, you ask? Let me start from the beginning. My full name is Stephen Bertrand Munyakho. I was born in Pumwani, Nairobi, on the morning of March 5, 1974. My mother, Dorothy Kweyu, even remembers the time I was born: 7am. I am the firstborn child in my family and I have three brothers and five sisters.
I was born on a Tuesday, and as things stand, I am going to be executed on a Tuesday — November 26, 2024 — unless well-wishers help me out.
I left Kenya when I was 22. That was in 1996. I had just finished my studies at Nyang’ori Boys High School and I wanted some money to help me go to college in the US. Somehow, I found a niche here in Saudi and I stayed on.
In 2011, when working as a warehouse manager at a tourist resort, an incident happened that turned my life upside down. I was involved in a physical altercation with a colleague — a Yemeni citizen named Abdulhalim Mujahid Makrad Saleh. Sadly, it resulted in his death in hospital. I also came out with an injury on the thigh and thumb.
The matter went to trial and I was sentenced to five years in jail for manslaughter. This means I could have been out of jail at least by the time I was hitting 40. Life, some say, begins at 40 — and I was ready to begin mine on a new slate.
That was not to be. Abdul’s family lodged an appeal before a Sharia court, and the verdict was that I have to die by execution, Sharia fashion. That is the reason I am currently at the Shimeisi Prison in the Makkah region.
I would have been executed a long time ago but the youngest child of Abdulhalim was five years old when he died. He had to reach 18 to give consent for my execution. During that period, as a result of negotiations, the family softened its original stance of having me dead. They said I could pay “blood money” to be released.
Sh150 million
They set a fee that is an equivalent of Sh150 million. I pay that, I have atoned for the death of Abdulhalim and I am a free man.
However, there is no way I can raise that money. There is no way my family, which is of humble means, can afford that.
Since this matter was first brought to the attention of Kenyans, there has been overwhelming assistance. The donations have been streaming in from far and wide. A Sh1,000 here, a Sh200 there. An enquiry here, a passionate plea there. They give me hope.
By yesterday, my family and the Back Stevo Campaign Committee had raised Sh11 million towards my release. There is hope.
When I spoke with mum on the phone on Tuesday evening, she told me they were planning to address the Press the following day. I prayed. I prayed that Kenyans could come out and help. I prayed for the generosity that Kenyans are known for.
National difficulties
When my 73-year-old mother appeared at the press conference at a Nairobi hotel, she was pensive as she sat on the side of Joseph Odindo, the chairman of the campaign committee, as he gave an update and thanked various people for the assistance given. He thanked Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Principal Secretary Abraham Korir Sing’oei and Kenya’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mr Mohamed Ramadhan Ruwange, for the relentless efforts they made to secure me more time. He asked social media influencers to pick up my case. He urged Kenyans to act as they do when there are national difficulties. He said that as much as the fee looks insurmountable, Kenyans can pull it off.
Mr Odindo’s words rang large: “The journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step, and we have faith and we have confidence that Kenyans who have always shown an extraordinary spirit in the past when things were difficult.”
I endorse another other message Mr Odindo said: that if 100,000 Kenyans send Sh1,000 each, we will be much, much closer to the target.
The M-Pesa PayBill number is 8056675, which brings up the account name “Let’s Bring Back Stevo”. The account number is the sender’s name. Alternatively, one can send money to my mother on 0702878717. It brings up the recipient’s name as Dorothy Musopole.
I thank you all.
