A team of diplomats from Kenya has made contact with Margaret Nduta who was recently sentenced to death in Vietnam for drug trafficking.
In an update on Friday, March 21, Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing'Oei said the officials, who had been working to secure travel clearance, were granted access to Hoi Chi Minh Prison where Nduta is being held.
"Pleased to update you that our team from Bangkok finally secured travel visas and made it to Hoi Chi Minh Prison in Vietnam where Margaret Nduta is presently held. We can confirm that while deeply distressed, Margaret is coping and has been treated humanely,” he said.
Sing'Oei also revealed that Nduta, who was convicted without legal representation during her trial, has filed an appeal that is expected to be heard soon.
He reiterated that efforts are ongoing to explore diplomatic avenues to resolve Nduta's case which he described as difficult.
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“Though Margaret was not represented by counsel during trial, an appeal filed a few days ago will be heard soon. In the meantime, we continue to engage our Vietnamese counterparts on other options towards resolving this difficult matter,” he added.
This update comes a week after Sing'Oei said the government's intervention to save Nduta might be futile, but efforts were ongoing.
He explained that Vietnam's territorial jurisdiction was making it hard for Kenya to meddle, given that the convict committed the offense in that country, was apprehended and tried, and later convicted there.
"Nduta’s case is complex and difficult, but we are doing everything within our disposal to secure reprieve for our national," Sing'oei said.
Nduta was found with two kilograms of drugs at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport with court proceedings revealing that she was hired 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.
In her defense, 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.
