Kenya appeals death sentence of woman convicted of drug trafficking in Vietnam

Nduta was arrested in July 2023 at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City while transiting to Laos with 2 kilograms of cocaine. On March 6, the People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City sentenced her to death after finding her guilty of drug trafficking.

Kenyan Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei confirmed on Friday, March 21, that a delegation had visited Ho Chi Minh Prison, where Nduta is being held.

“We can confirm that while deeply distressed, Margaret is coping and has been treated humanely. Though Margaret was not represented by counsel during trial, an appeal filed a few days ago will be heard soon,” Sing’oei said.

“In the meantime, we continue to engage our Vietnamese counterparts on other options towards resolving this difficult matter,” he added.

Nduta was initially scheduled for execution on March 17, but Vietnamese authorities postponed the date following Kenya’s intervention.

She has maintained that she was set up by a man who deceived her into transporting a suitcase to an unknown woman in Laos.

According to reports, Nduta had previously served in a correctional facility in Ghana. Before her arrest in Vietnam, she successfully passed through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (Kenya), Bole International Airport (Ethiopia), and Hamad International Airport (Qatar).

Vietnam has some of the strictest drug laws in the world, with the death penalty applicable for smuggling or possessing more than 600 grams of heroin or cocaine.