Saudi Arabia Stories

Stephen Munyakho recounts how he narrowly escaped execution in Saudi Arabia
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jul 31, 2025

Stephen Munyakho, who had been living in Saudi Arabia since 1996, was sentenced to death after a deadly fight with a Yemeni colleague in April 2011.

Munyakho: Blood money demand dropped from Sh400 million to Sh150 million after court intervention
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jul 31, 2025

Munyakho explained that although he was originally sentenced to five years and expected to be freed in 2016, his situation changed drastically when Ha...

Stephen Munyakho, Kenyan man on death row in Saudi Arabia, freed- PS Sing’Oei
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jul 22, 2025

In a statement released on, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei confirmed that Munyakho was released at 10 am and is no longer on death...

Mombasa Hajj agents cry foul over SUPKEM's control, seek State intervention
Farhiya Hussein  |  Jul 21, 2025

The Hajj and Umrah Association of Kenya claims that SUPKEM has overreached its mandate by imposing hefty charges and excluding key players from essent...

Saudi Arabia’s ‘Sleeping Prince’ dies after 20 years in coma
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Jul 20, 2025

At just 15, while studying as a military cadet in London, he suffered a devastating road accident in 2005 that caused severe brain injuries and intern...

Saudi Arabia, Oman condemn Israeli 'aggression' against Iran
DW News  |  Jun 13, 2025

Riyadh, which restored ties with Tehran two years ago, denounced the attacks as "blatant Israeli aggressions" undermining Iran's sovereignty, accordin...

What is Hajj? Understanding the sacred journey millions of Muslims make each year
Abdirahman Khalif  |  Jun 03, 2025

The pilgrimage follows a specific set of rituals and is carried out in and around the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Activists, lawyers file petition against Kenyan government over trafficking of domestic workers
Lucy Mumbi  |  May 27, 2025

The petition comes after a new report by Amnesty International revealed widespread abuse and exploitation of Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia,...

Amnesty blasts Kenya's Saudi envoy over dismissal of migrant abuse report
Bashir Mbuthia  |  May 19, 2025

In a statement on Monday, Amnesty expressed shock at Ruwange's utterances, made in a Facebook post on May 17, in which he dismissed the findings of th...

Kenya defends labour deal with Saudi Arabia, dismisses Amnesty report as misleading
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 17, 2025

According to Mohammed, Saudi Arabia is home to more than 200,000 Kenyans working across different sectors, including domestic work, healthcare, constr...

Amnesty urges action as report exposes abuse of Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia
Bashir Mbuthia  |  May 12, 2025

Recruitment agencies commonly mislead them about the nature of the jobs, only for them to arrive in Saudi Arabia to a far grimmer reality.

Amnesty urges Saudi Arabia to scrap kafala system trapping Kenyan domestic workers in abuse
Bashir Mbuthia  |  May 12, 2025

According to Amnesty, the system leaves migrant domestic workers particularly vulnerable, as they are excluded from Saudi Arabia's labour protection l...

What is IMCTC? Details of global Muslim coalition backing Kenya’s new anti-terror initiative
Mary Wambui  |  Apr 24, 2025

The IMCTC is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where delegates from member countries operate, undertaking tasks aligned with the coalition’s obje...

Government to probe alleged misconduct by embassy official in Saudi Arabia
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Apr 08, 2025

The New York Times exposé, published on April 4, exposed how some Kenyans working in the Gulf state were subjected to abuse, with embassy officials re...

Kenyan on death row in Saudi Arabia to return home as Muslim World League pays Sh129.5m
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Mar 25, 2025

The amount was paid by the Muslim World League, whose Secretary-General is Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa.

Somalia pushes to overturn death sentences for citizens convicted in Saudi Arabia
Abdirahman Khalif  |  Mar 15, 2025

The Somali government’s push for legal intervention follows the execution of Somali national Mohamed Nur Hussein in February 2025.

Vihiga family faces financial strain after loved one dies in Saudi Arabia
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Feb 25, 2025

Now, the family is left with the painful reality of not only grieving her loss but also struggling to afford the cost of repatriating her body, which...

Australia overtakes Germany, Saudi Arabia as fastest-growing source of Kenyan remittances
Lucy Mumbi  |  Feb 17, 2025

Overall, remittances from Kenyans abroad grew by 18.03 per cent year-on-year to nearly $4.95 billion (Sh637.93 billion), marking the highest growth in...

Saudi Arabia leads scramble for Trump's Gaza 'clean out' plan that has made Arab world furious
Reuters  |  Feb 14, 2025

Many experts say Trump may be using an old bargaining ploy from his diplomatic playbook, setting out an extreme position as an opening gambit for nego...

Migrant workers deaths in Saudi double, casting shadow on Kenya's labour export strategy
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jan 29, 2025

The number of Kenyan migrant workers who died in Saudi Arabia more than doubled in 2023.

Woman’s tale of tribulations Kenyans face under oppressive employers in the Gulf
Mary Wambui  |  Dec 13, 2024

On arrival in Saudi Arabia, Sophia Amimo experienced a lot of abuse, both mental and physical.

Six nations to host 2030 World Cup as Saudi Arabia secures 2034
Reuters  |  Dec 11, 2024

FIFA has confirmed the hosts for the next two men's World Cups, with the 2030 tournament set to span six nations across three continents and Saudi Ara...

Saudi Arabia: ‘Giga-Projects’ built on widespread labour abuses
Human Rights Watch  |  Dec 04, 2024

The report is based on interviews with more than 155 former and current migrant workers and families of deceased workers across employment sectors and...

Neymar to miss at least a month due to hamstring injury
Reuters  |  Nov 06, 2024

Word has it that Saudi giants Al Hilal are contemplating terminating the Brazilian's contract in January

Execution of Kenyan jailed for manslaughter in Saudi Arabia postponed for 1 year
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Oct 24, 2024

Munyakho has been on death row in Saudi Arabia for over a decade after being convicted of killing a Yemeni national, Abdul Halim Mujahid Makrad Saleh.

Saudi Arabia forms global alliance to push for Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution
Reuters  |  Sep 27, 2024

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on X the first meetings would be in Riyadh and Brussels.

Saudi Arabia will not recognise Israel without Palestinian state, says Crown Prince
Reuters  |  Sep 18, 2024

MbS, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, had said just weeks before the fighting broke out that Riyadh was getting closer to a deal.

Kenya and Saudi Arabia announce new ties to foster education programmes
Barack Oduor  |  Aug 27, 2024

Speakers at the event said the collaboration will facilitate the exchange of expertise and talents between Saudi Arabia and Kenya.

Muslim World League delegation meets Ruto, launches key projects in Kenya
Abdirahman Khalif  |  Aug 19, 2024

Among the key projects is the SightFirst Eye Hospital, which aims to combat vision impairment in the country. The hospital will provide surgical inter...

Egypt cracks down on tourism companies after Hajj deaths
Reuters  |  Jun 23, 2024

Medical and security sources say at least 672 Egyptians died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, with 31 deaths confirmed as being the result...

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