STEPHEN MUNYAKHO BREAKS SILENCE ON 2011 FIGHT THAT LED TO HIS DEATH SENTENCE IN SAUDI ARABIA

Stephen Munyakho, a Kenyan man who spent 14 years on death row in Saudi Arabia, has for the first time shared his account of the incident that led to his imprisonment. Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV’s JKLive show, Munyakho recalled the events surrounding the fatal fight with his colleague Abdi Halim in 2011.

At the time, both Munyakho and Halim worked in the accounts department of a restaurant in Saudi Arabia. Munyakho said the two were not only colleagues but close friends who even had a joint investment in an amusement park. He explained that the conflict arose from a salary dispute when Halim allegedly refused to let him collect his wages.

Munyakho stated that the confrontation turned physical after a heated exchange of words. He said he sustained stab wounds on his hand and thigh during the fight and claimed the knife used belonged to the deceased. According to him, he acted in self-defence.

He emphasised that the fight was never meant to be fatal and said Halim’s death resulted from delayed medical attention rather than the stabbing injuries. Munyakho described the incident as a mistake and said it was the first physical altercation he had ever been involved in.

The incident occurred on the night of April 9 in 2011. Munyakho was initially charged with manslaughter, but the charge was later elevated to murder, leading to a death sentence by beheading under Saudi law.

His execution was suspended after the family of the deceased agreed to accept financial compensation, known as diyya, as allowed under Islamic law. With support from the Kenyan government and the Muslim World League, Ksh129 million was raised to secure his release.

Munyakho was officially freed on July 22 in 2025 after completing all legal and religious requirements. He returned to Kenya on July 29, ending a 14-year legal ordeal.