Margaret Macharia Nduta, 37, will now spend the rest of her life in a Vietnamese prison. Authorities arrested her in July 2023 at Hoh Chi Minh Airport. She was on transit to Laos when customs officers found two kilos of narcotics in her luggage.
Initially, a lower court sentenced her to death in March 2024. However, on Thursday, the Vietnam People’s Supreme Court reduced her sentence to life imprisonment. Although the ruling spared her execution, the court rejected her appeal for a shorter jail term.
Nduta claimed she was only passing through Vietnam. She also argued that she had no idea drugs were in her bag. Even so, the court dismissed her defence. It noted that the large amount of drugs required a strict sentence.
Her arrest came after a delay in her connecting flight. As she waited at the airport, customs officers scanned her luggage and raised suspicion.
Soon after, Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs got involved. Principal Secretary Dr Korir Sing’oei contacted Vietnamese officials. Later, the Kenyan Embassy in Thailand pushed for leniency through diplomatic channels. Eventually, these efforts helped reduce her sentence.
Nduta is the youngest of four sisters from Weithaga, Murang’a County. She has a twin sister. According to her family, the case has deeply shaken them.
Speaking to reporters, her sister Rosemary said their mother became ill after the arrest. “We haven’t told her about the latest ruling. It would only add to her stress,” she said.
Now, there is still one path left. Nduta can apply for clemency from Vietnam’s President. The Kenyan government has promised to support that appeal.
Fortunately, recent legal reforms in Vietnam ended automatic death sentences for drug crimes. Nduta’s family hopes she can receive mercy.
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