The government is seeking clemency, with high-ranking officials communicating with their Vietnamese counterparts to prevent the imminent execution, as reported by Nation.Africa.
Korir Sing’Oei, the Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, revealed that Kenya’s ambassadors from Thailand have traveled to Vietnam to advocate for Nduta.
“I had a phone conversation this afternoon with my counterpart, Nguyen Minh Hang, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, regarding the case of Margaret Nduta,” Sing’Oei mentioned.
“I expressed to Madam Hang the concerns of the Kenyan populace regarding the looming execution of our citizen and reiterated our appeal for a stay of execution to allow both nations to explore a resolution.”
A team from Kenya’s embassy in Bangkok has reportedly arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, in a final effort to secure clemency for Nduta. This diplomatic initiative comes as time is running out for the Kenyan national, who is facing one of the most severe penalties under Vietnam’s stringent anti-drug regulations.
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Court documents indicate that Nduta was arrested while traveling to Laos. She later asserted that a Kenyan man named John had contracted her to carry a suitcase to another woman and return with additional items. Prior to her arrest, Nduta had successfully navigated through three major international airports: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (Kenya), Bole International Airport (Ethiopia), and Hamad International Airport (Qatar).
Vietnam has some of the strictest drug laws globally, imposing the death penalty for anyone found smuggling or possessing over 600 grams of heroin or cocaine.
