Kenya's Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Sing'oei Korir now says that the government's intervention to save a Kenyan facing execution in Vietnam might be futile, but the efforts are still on.
Margaret Nduta is staring at a death sentence in the Asian country after being convicted of drug trafficking.
With the clock ticking toward the execution, a host of Kenyans and leaders have been making distress appeals to President William Ruto to use his capacity and intervene on the matter.
They urged the president to invoke the diplomatic standing between Nairobi and Vietnam to secure clemency for Nduta.
Kisii senator Richard Onyonka addressed a letter to Ruto pleading with him to seek repatriation of the Kenyan and have her tried in Kenya.
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However, reacting to the calls, Sing'oei said the matter was a complex one.
The PS suggested that Vietnam's territorial jurisdiction was making it hard for Kenya to meddle, given that the convict committed the offence in that country, was apprehended and tried, and later convicted there.
Despite the challenge, he said efforts were underway to seek an amnesty for the convict.
"Nduta’s case is complex and difficult, but we are doing everything within our disposal to secure reprieve for our national," Sing'oei said.
Hours late, the Foreign PS made another update stating," Had a telephone conversation this afternoon with my counterpart, H.E. Nguyen Minh Hang, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam over the matter of Margaret Nduta. I conveyed to Madam Hang the anxiety of the Kenyan people on 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. In the meantime, our Mission in Bangkok is actively following up the case."
Nduta was found with two kilograms of drugs at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
According to court proceedings, the 37-year-old was hired in July 2023 by a fellow Kenyan to transport a suitcase to Laos, a country in Asia.
According to the indictment, she was instructed to hand over the suitcase to a woman in Laos and then return with unspecified 'goods'.
Nduta was reportedly paid $1,300 (approximately Ksh168,000) for the task, and her travel expenses, including plane tickets, were fully covered.
According to Vietnamese authorities, Nduta’s journey involved traveling through multiple countries before she arrived at Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) on July 14, 2023.
Due to a late arrival, airport staff assisted her in completing immigration procedures so they could help her book a flight to Laos.
However, during the process, customs officials discovered over two kilograms of illicit drugs concealed in her suitcase.
In her defence, Nduta claimed she was unaware that the suitcase contained drugs when she received it.
However, prosecutors argued that this statement was an attempt to evade responsibility, asserting that she was accountable for the illegal substances she transported.
The court ultimately found her guilty and handed down a death sentence on Thursday, March 6.
