Kenyan woman incarcerated in Hong Kong has revealed that she previously shared a prison cell in Ghana with Margaret Nduta, the 37-year-old Kenyan recently sentenced to death in Vietnam for drug trafficking. The woman, speaking through prison chaplain Fr. John Wotherspoon, claims that Nduta was coerced into trafficking drugs under threats from a Nigerian cartel.
According to Fr. Wotherspoon, the two women were arrested in Ghana on drug-related charges. Nduta received a four-year sentence, while her compatriot was acquitted due to police corruption that led to the collapse of her case. Upon returning to Kenya, the acquitted woman faced renewed threats from the cartel, which had previously killed a friend of hers in Kenya and allegedly kidnapped her son to force her compliance.
Nduta’s current predicament began in July 2023 when she was arrested at Ho Chi Minh City Airport in Vietnam while transiting to Laos. Authorities discovered two kilograms of cocaine concealed in a false compartment of her suitcase. Despite her claims of ignorance regarding the suitcase’s contents, she was convicted of drug trafficking on March 6, 2025, and sentenced to death.
The Kenyan government is actively seeking to intervene in Nduta’s case. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei has communicated with Vietnamese authorities, requesting a stay of execution to explore possible resolutions. Nduta’s family, particularly her mother, has expressed a desperate desire to see her before any execution is carried out, appealing to Kenyan leadership for assistance.
This case highlights the severe risks faced by individuals coerced into drug trafficking and underscores the need for increased awareness and preventive measures to protect vulnerable populations from exploitation by criminal networks.
