37-year-old Margaret Nduta’s fate hangs on balance following her execution sentence by lethal injection in Vietnam. However, new developments in her case have given the woman a glimmer of hope after the government intervened in the situation.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei announced that he had been in contact with Vietnam’s government following a public outcry to have Nduta repatriated to Kenya.
Sing’oei confirmed his conversation with Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nguyen Minh Hang, who assured him that the matter was being reviewed. This allows both countries to find a solution to the matter.
”Had a telephone conversation this afternoon with my counterpart, H.E. Nguyen Minh Hang, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam over the matter of Margaret Nduta. I conveyed to Madam Hang the anxiety of the Kenyan people on the impending execution of our national and reiterated our request for a stay of execution to allow our two countries to find a path to resolving the issue,” Sing’Oei stated.
”I am grateful for Madam Hang’s assurance that our Petition is under consideration by her Country’s authorities. In the meantime, our Mission in Bangkok is actively following up the case in situ.”
Nduta was convicted of smuggling over two kilograms of illegal drugs after being arrested at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. On March 6th, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court sentenced her to death as per Vietnam’s strict stance on drug-related crimes.
The court document indicated that Nduta was allegedly around Sh167,000 ($1,300) to transport the illegal drugs. She denied knowledge of the charges levelled against her in court, saying she knew she was transporting legitimate goods.
“Nduta’s case is complex and difficult, but we are doing everything within our means to secure a reprieve for our national,” Sing’oei said following an earlier request to repatriate the woman.
It remains uncertain whether the Kenyan government’s intervention will succeed, considering a similar case involving Stephen Munyakho, a Kenyan sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia.
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He was convicted of manslaughter in 2011 after a fight resulted in the death of a Yemeni national.
Despite persistent efforts by the Kenyan government, his case remains unresolved as he was later handed a death sentence in 2014 by a Shariah court over the death of a Yemeni national during a fight.
