Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary (PS) Korir Sing’oei has issued an update on Kenyan woman, Margaret Nduta, who is facing execution in Vietnam.
Sing’oei, in a statement on Friday, March 21, said Kenya’s team from Bangkok had finally secured travel visas and made it to Ho Chi Minh Prison in Vietnam, where Margaret Nduta is presently held.
The PS stated that Nduta appeared deeply stressed. He also mentioned that she was not represented by a counsel during her trial but an appeal file in the Vietnamese court would “be heard soon”.
“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.”
Sing’oei advised Kenyans not to get tempted or lured into any form of drug or human trafficking terming it as extremely dangerous and costly misadventure.
PS Sing’oei Issues Update on Margaret Nduta Case in Vietnam
The Foreign Affairs PS had earlier indicated that the government was doing everything within its means to assist Nduta.
“Nduta’s case is complex and difficult, but we are doing everything within our disposal to secure a reprieve for our nation,” the PS said in a tweet.
Also Read: Ruto Sends Message to Margaret Nduta’s Family Amid Her Execution in Vietnam
At the same time, the Sing’oei revealed that he had a telephone conversation with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Nguyen Minh Hang over the matter of Margaret Nduta and “conveyed the anxiety of the Kenyan people on the impending execution”.
He also requested for a stay of execution to allow Kenya and Vietnam to find a path to resolving the issue.
“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 Bankok is actively following up the case,” explained PS Sing’oei.
Why Nduta is Facing Execution
Nduta, a 37-year-old Kenyan, was sentenced to death in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, over drug trafficking charges.
On March 6, 2025, a Vietnamese court found her guilty of smuggling two kilos of cocaine valued at about Ksh27 million in the international market and sentenced her to death by lethal injection.
Nduta was arrested in July 2023 after more than 2.3 kilograms of cocaine were found hidden in her luggage upon her arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
According to court documents, Nduta was hired by a man named John from Kenya in July 2023 to transport a suitcase to Laos, Southeast Asia.
Also Read: Kenyan Woman Margaret Nduta Sentenced to Death in Vietnam
Onyonka’s Plea to Ruto
Kisii Senator, Richard Onyonka in an open letter dated March 14, 2025, made an urgent appeal to Ruto, demanding swift diplomatic intervention to save her life by engaging the Vietnamese authorities.
Onyonka issued three key demands for the Kenyan government including pushing for commuting Nduta’s death sentence to life imprisonment or an alternative penalty on humanitarian grounds.
Also, he asked Ruto’s government to call for diplomatic negotiations that would allow Nduta to return to Kenya and serve her sentence under the Kenyan justice system.
Lastly, he asked that the government seeks intervention from the United Nations and other human rights organizations to prevent the execution and advocate for fair treatment of Kenyans facing harsh penalties abroad.
Vietnam executes prisoners using lethal injection, a method introduced in 2011 to replace firing squads.
The process follows a three-drug protocol: first, an anesthetic to induce unconsciousness, a paralytic agent to stop muscle movement, and a lethal drug to halt the heart.
Vietnam is among the top countries in the world that enforce the death penalty, especially for drug-related crimes.
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