Nairobi — The government says it is exploring every diplomatic effort to save the life of Margaret Nduta Macharia, a Kenyan facing execution in Vietnam.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei acknowledged that Nduta's case is "complex and difficult," citing that she was handed a death sentence for drug trafficking.
He confirmed that he had a telephone conversation this afternoon with his counterpart, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, Nguyen Minh Hang, regarding the matter of Margaret Nduta.
"I conveyed to Madam Hang the anxiety of the Kenyan people over 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. I am grateful for Madam Hang's assurance that our petition is under consideration by her country's authorities," he stated through a message on his social media platform.
Legislators Richard Onyonka, Babu Owino, and Elijah Njoroge have petitioned President William Ruto to seek clemency and repatriation for Nduta.
"This distressing development calls for urgent diplomatic intervention to safeguard her fundamental rights and explore the possibility of clemency and repatriation," Onyonka wrote.
The 37-year-old Kenyan national is scheduled to be executed in Vietnam on March 17 at around 8:30 PM.
In July 2023, Vietnamese authorities arrested Macharia at an international airport in Vietnam's most populous city after discovering over two kilograms of cocaine concealed in her luggage.
She had reportedly traveled through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Bole International Airport, and Hamad International Airport without detection before her apprehension in Vietnam.
During her trial, Macharia claimed that a Kenyan man known only as John had hired her to transport the suitcase to a woman in Laos, for which she received $1,300 and had her travel expenses covered.
She maintained that she was unaware of the suitcase's contents. However, the court found her guilty of drug trafficking on March 6, 2025, and sentenced her to death.
Vietnam enforces some of the world's strictest drug laws, with capital punishment applicable for trafficking over 600 grams of heroin or cocaine.
