The race to raise blood money to halt an execution

RACE TO HALT AN EXECUTION

When her son was granted a temporary reprieve this week, the mother of Kenya, who had spearheaded an extensive and fervent campaign to spare him from death in Saudi Arabia, shed tears of relief.

The 50-year-old Stephen Munyakho was scheduled to be put to death on Wednesday for the 2011 killing of a Yemeni man.

Decapitation (the most prevalent technique in the kingdom is beheading) or hanging, fatal injection, or firing squad could have been used.

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However, Dorothy Kweyu, 73, told the BBC that she has not yet received any additional information regarding her son’s case from Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her son’s stay of execution is only temporary.

Despite the temporary reprieve, Ms. Kweyu’s anxiety persists as she continues to struggle to raise the necessary blood money, known as “diyah,” to secure a pardon from the victim’s family under Saudi Arabia’s Sharia-based judicial system.

The required amount of $1 million (£790,000) has only been partially met through a public appeal, with less than 5% of the total raised so far. Kenyan government officials are working on her behalf to negotiate a solution, hoping to find a way to extend the deadline for raising the funds.

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In a recent statement, Korir Sing’Oei, a senior foreign ministry official, announced that negotiators are exploring strategies to bring the matter to a more acceptable conclusion, aiming to provide closure for both families.

The Kenyan government’s efforts are focused on finding a way to secure a pardon and avoid the execution, which would bring much-needed relief to Ms. Kweyu and her loved ones.

Mr. Munyakho, also known as Stevo to his loved ones, began working in Saudi Arabia in his early twenties and held the position of warehouse manager at a Red Sea resort thirteen years ago.

Ms. Kweyu claims that when her son and a colleague got into a fight, the colleague stabbed Stevo with a letter opener. Stevo killed his coworker after he assaulted him with the letter opener in retaliation.

She told the BBC, “At first, my son was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to five years in jail.” According to international standards, we had anticipated that he would be detained for 2.5 years, but that was not to be.

In 2014, an appeal led to a change in Stevo’s sentence, with the court ordering capital punishment, which would have meant the death sentence.

However, a Kenyan delegation in Saudi Arabia successfully convinced the deceased’s family to accept the diya, or blood money, offer. Despite this, negotiations have been lengthy and challenging, and raising the necessary funds for Stevo, a father of three, has been difficult.

A court set a deadline of May 15 for the blood money to be paid. In a desperate moment, Ms. Kweyu, Stevo’s mother, offered to take her son’s place, asking if she could be executed instead, but was rebuked and told to stop suggesting such a thing.

Under Islamic law, diya serves as compensation for victims or their families, applicable to various crimes, including murder, injury, and property damage.

The family’s efforts to raise the necessary funds highlight the complexity and difficulty of navigating the Saudi judicial system.

The practice of diya, or blood money, is a centuries-old tradition in Islamic law, allowing for a reduction in sentence or even a pardon in certain cases.

Currently, about 20 countries in the Middle East and Africa, including Sudan and northern Nigeria, apply this principle. The Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad support the concept, with the original amount of 100 camels now translated to cash in modern times. In Saudi Arabia, this amounts to approximately $80,000.

However, the amount can vary depending on factors like the victim’s gender and religious background, and requires the agreement of the victim or their family. In the case of Stevo, his mother, Ms. Kweyu, negotiated the initial demand of $2.6 million down to $950,000.

Interestingly, Stevo’s name change to “Abdulkareem” was recently revealed, although it is unclear if he has changed his religion. His family, including his youngest son, Evans, who has not seen him in over 20 years, anxiously await his return, with mixed emotions of hope and discouragement.

Ms. Kweyu successfully negotiated the blood money demand from $2.6 million to $950,000. However, it is unclear if her son, Stevo (also known as Stephen Munyakho or Abdulkareem), has converted to Islam while in prison.

The family was surprised to learn of his name change, which was revealed in a statement by Mr. Sing’Oei on social media. Stevo’s children have suffered greatly due to his absence, with his youngest son, Evans, having not seen him in over 20 years.

Evans expressed his mixed emotions, hoping for his father’s return but also fearing the worst. Stevo, a former warehouse manager at a Red Sea resort, was sentenced to death for the 2011 murder of a Yemeni man.

His mother, Dorothy Kweyu, led a tireless campaign to spare his life and was relieved when he was granted a temporary reprieve. However, she has yet to receive further information from the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the stay of execution is only temporary, leaving the family in a state of uncertainty.

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Prince Nti Adu

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