Temporary relief for the family of Margaret Nduta as Kenyan consular officials finally gain access to her at Ho Chi Minh Prison in Vietnam, confirming that she is alive and being treated humanely.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei stated that the team, which had been based in Bangkok, secured travel visas and visited Nduta following weeks of diplomatic efforts.
While deeply distressed, she is coping as legal and diplomatic interventions continue.
Nduta was sentenced to death by lethal injection on March 6 after being convicted of smuggling over two kilos of cocaine.
Arrested in July 2023 while allegedly transporting a suitcase for a man identified only as John, she unknowingly passed through security at three major airports, including JKIA, before being caught in Vietnam.
Vietnam enforces some of the world’s toughest drug laws, imposing the death penalty for trafficking over 600 grams of heroin or cocaine.
The Kenyan government has filed an appeal and is engaging Vietnamese authorities in efforts to secure a stay of execution.
Nduta’s case has magnified concerns over the vulnerability of Kenyans to international drug trafficking networks.
Vietnam remains a key transit hub within the Golden Triangle, where strict anti-narcotics laws result in harsh sentences.
The Kenyan government continues to push for diplomatic intervention, with hopes that Nduta’s case will be reconsidered in court.
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