Friends and relatives of a youthful Meru man serving a three-year jail term in Saudi Arabia have appealed for justice, claiming he was made to take responsibility for transporting alcohol allegedly belonging to senior diplomatic staff.
Kevin Mugambi Gitari, a former junior staffer at the Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh, is reportedly serving the sentence after being arrested over the transportation of alcohol, which is strictly prohibited under Saudi law except for authorised diplomatic personnel.
According to information shared by his friends, the incident happened on June 16, 2026, when two diplomats, identified as Linah Lumidi and Charles Oure, allegedly purchased the alcohol before handing it to Kevin to transport in his personal car.
The two are said to have been allowed to purchase the alcohol because of their diplomatic status.
However, when Saudi authorities reportedly sought confirmation from the Kenyan Ambassador regarding the ownership of the alcohol, he allegedly declined to confirm that it belonged to the diplomats.
Kevin was consequently left to bear the responsibility and was convicted, according to the account shared by his friends.
Those campaigning for his release claim to have receipts, CCTV footage showing the handover of the alcohol and an audio recording in which the two diplomats reportedly admit to Kevin’s wife that the alcohol belonged to them.
Despite the alleged evidence, Kevin remains behind bars, raising serious questions about why the Kenyan Embassy has not intervened to help its former employee.
“Why did the ambassador refuse to protect his own staff? Why is a junior employee carrying the cross for diplomats?” concerned friends have questioned.
They have also called on the Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs to intervene, demanding answers over the circumstances that led to a Kenyan citizen serving a three-year sentence in a foreign prison over alcohol he claims he did not own.
The family and friends are now appealing for urgent government intervention to establish the truth and help secure Kevin’s release.
