• Sing'oei met with Abdulsalam Al Awadh, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of Yemen where they discussed how they can resolve the matter.
• Sing'oei had earlier announced that through Kenya's intervention, the Saudi authorities had halted Stevo's execution, to allow for further negotiations.
Image: HANDOUT
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei on Friday met a senior official of the Embassy of Yemen in Nairobi, over the case of a Kenyan on death sentence in Saudi Arabia.
The Kenyan identified as Stephen Munyakho (Stevo) was set to be executed on May 15, over the death of a Yemeni national following an altercation.
Sing'oei met with Abdulsalam Al Awadh, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of Yemen where they discussed how they can resolve the matter.
"I held a meeting with Abdulsalam Al Awadh, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of Yemen in Nairobi, to explore means towards reparating the loss of life inadvertently occasioned upon a Yemeni national by a Kenyan, currently facing capital punishment imposed by a Saudi Court," the PS said.
The meeting comes a few days after he met Stevo's mother Dorothy Kweyu and assured her that the government would take all necessary measures to help Stephen Munyakho come back home.
Sing'oei had earlier announced that through Kenya's intervention, the Saudi authorities had halted Stevo's execution, to allow for further negotiations.
"I am deeply grateful to inform you that authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have kindly granted our request to postpone the impending execution of Stephen Munyakho (now known as Abdulkareem), to allow for further negotiations between all parties," he said on Monday.
"As we devise strategies to bring this matter to a more acceptable conclusion, 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 that in the coming days, the government will engage stakeholders in Nairobi and Riyadh, on the best way to bring the matter to a conclusion.
Munyakho had been involved in an argument which turned violent with his friend and colleague Abdul Halim Mujahid Makrad Saleh.
In the altercation involving a letter opener, Saleh was stabbed and wounded. He managed to get to the hospital where he later succumbed.
Stevo was also injured but not fatally.
A trial began and Stevo was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to five years in prison.
Saleh's family however appealed at a Shariah court and in a turn from bad to worse, Stevo was sentenced to death.
This meant that besides having an ‘expiry date’, the Kenyan, who is a father of three – two sons and a daughter, was to face his death with a sword.
Alternatively, a "diya" or "blood money", could be paid as financial compensation to the victim or his heir in cases of murder, bodily harm or property destruction by mistake. This is provided by the Islamic law.
In Stevo's case, being manslaughter – killing by mistake- Saleh’s family agreed to 10 million Saudi Arabia Riyals (SAR).
This was however negotiated and managed to get it reduced to 3.5 million Saudi Riyals, which translated to approximately Sh150 million.
Munyakho's family has been trying to raise funds to secure his release.