The government now says there is no budgetary provision to help the family of Kenyan pay Ksh150 million in blood money to evade execution in Saudi Arabia.
Stephen Munyakho, a Kenyan in Saudi Arabia, is facing execution after being found guilty of manslaughter unless he pays the blood money being demanded by the family.
In May, Saudi Arabia agreed to postpone the execution which was due on May 15, 2024, to allow for further negotiations between all parties.
Speaking before the Senate on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, Prime Cabinet Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi said that the family has raised about Ksh10 million so far.
“I had the opportunity to meet the family of Stephen and we had a conversation. The challenge that is there is that there is a proposal that is being mooted by the family of the person who died that they be compensated to the tune of Ksh150 million. The family has raised about Ksh10 million and they continue to try and raise more money,” Mudavadi said.
“There is no budgetary provision for the government to settle this kind of situation whether in Saudi or any other country.”
Amount of money
Mudavadi however says the government is trying to convince the family whose kin was killed to reduce the amount they are asking for so that the case can be resolved.
“But the Ministry and the government is doing whatever it can to see if this matter can be resolved differently and perhaps if the family that lost their individual can climb down from the high level of Ksh150 million so that this case can be resolved,” he added.
In May, Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’oei said Kenya shall be engaging stakeholders in Nairobi and Riyadh, including representations from the religious leadership, to agree on the next urgent steps.
“As we devise strategies to bring this matter to a more acceptable conclusion, and thereby giving both families the closure they so urgently need and deserve, we shall continue to lean on the warm and solid friendship that we have with our Saudi partners, as well as on the goodwill of all Kenyans,” Sing’oei said.
Munyakho is the son of veteran journalist Dorothy Kweyu.
He has been in custody for 13 years since April 9, 2011, in Shimeisi Prison in the Governorate of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.