A Kenyan man, Stephen Munyakho billed for execution in Saudi Arabia has had a last-minute stay of execution following a huge social media campaign with the hashtag Bring Back Stevo.
Munyakho, son of veteran journalist Dorothy Kweyu, was sentenced to death in 2011 after a deadly fight with a colleague. Both workers had stab wounds, but only Munyakho survived.
Saudi law stipulates that a death sentence can be lifted if the deceased’s family agrees to receive compensation instead.
Back home in Kenya, his family is attempting to raise the required sums, which is three-and-a-half million Saudi riyals ($940,000), for the deceased’s family.
However, about 48 hours before Munyakho was due to be executed, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs said Saudi Arabia had “kindly granted” the government’s appeal to stall the execution to allow for “further negotiations between all parties”.