Margaret Nduta’s life changed in an instant. The young Kenyan woman now faces the death penalty in Vietnam after being found with two kilograms of cocaine in her suitcase.
She was arrested while traveling, unaware that she had been set up. Her family is now pleading for her life, hoping that President William Ruto and other leaders can intervene before it is too late
According to her mother, Purity Wangare, the man who led Nduta into this nightmare is called Njoroge. Wangare says he gave her daughter the suitcase, asking her to deliver it to an unknown woman. Nduta, not knowing what was inside, agreed. But as soon as she reached the airport, security officers stopped her, searched her luggage, and found the hidden drugs. Her dreams of a better future turned into a terrifying reality.
Vietnamese authorities charged Margaret Nduta with drug trafficking, a crime that carries the most severe punishment which is death. Despite insisting she knew nothing about the cocaine, her pleas fell on deaf ears. Her fate now rests in the hands of the justice system in a foreign land, where drug laws are unforgiving.
On March 16, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei confirmed that Kenya was making efforts to save her. The government reached out to Vietnamese officials, hoping to delay or stop the execution. Kenya’s embassy in Bangkok is closely monitoring the situation, but time is running out.
Reports indicate that Nduta was scheduled for execution at 8:30 PM on March 16. She was supposed to have her last meal an hour before facing the ultimate punishment. While diplomatic talks continue, her family can only pray that she will be spared.
Nduta’s case is a painful reminder of how innocent people can fall victim to drug traffickers. Many young people, desperate for opportunities, unknowingly carry illegal substances, only to end up in prison or worse. Her family is left waiting in agony, hoping for a miracle that may never come.
