NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 24 – Saudi Arabia has postponed Stephen Munyakho’s execution by a year to facilitate talks between the Kenyan mission in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia authorities and the victim’s widow.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei said the period will allow both parties settle outstanding obligations.
Munyakho who was convicted of murder in Saudi Arabia was set to be executed on November 26 after the family failed to secure blood money required to stop his execution.
“I am pleased to inform that after strenuous negotiations between our Mission in Riyadh, Saudi Authorities and the Widow, the impending execution of judgment against Stephen Munyakho (Abdulkareem) due for November 26, 2024 has been postponed for another one year to allow parties settle outstanding obligations, “he said.
In July Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi stated that the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs ministry has no budget provision to settle Sh150 million blood money for Munyakho.
While appearing before the Senate plenary Mudavadi said that Munyakho’s execution which was to happen in May 2024 was deferred after his office wrote a letter to the Saudi Arabia Foreign Affairs Minister negotiating and pleading to not have him executed.
“We are aware of the case involving Stephen Munyako who was incarcerated in a case of manslaughter in Riyadh. I had an opportunity to meet the family and the mother of Munyakho but there are no budgetary provisions for the government to settle this kind of situation,” said Mudavadi.
Mudavadi revealed that the Munyakho’s family had only raised Sh 10 million to secure his release after the family of the deceased in Saudi Arabia mooted a proposal demanding financial compensation of Sh 150 million.
“The challenge that is there is that there is a proposal by the family of the person who died that they be compensated to a tune of Sh 150 million. The family has raised Sh 10 million and they continue to try and raise more money because this is what they call the blood money, some form of Financial compensation,” added Mudavadi.
Munyakho was sentenced to death in the Islamic state back in 2013 on a case involving Manslaughter where he was involved in some sort of altercation with a colleague while working for the Middle East Nation.
Blood money settlement option is a financial compensation under Islamic law which is paid to the victim or heirs of a victim in the cases of murder, bodily harm or destruction of property.
Under Islamic law, Diyah or the “Blood Money” can also lead to a reduction in sentence and in certain circumstances a pardon.
It is currently applied in about 20 countries in the Middle East.
Source: capitalfm
