Margaret Nduta visited by state officials in Vietnam amid execution fears
PS Sing'oei noted that while Nduta remains deeply distressed, she is receiving humane treatment from Vietnamese authorities.
Kenya's top foreign affairs official, Korir Sing'oei, has confirmed that a team from the country's mission in Bangkok, Thailand, successfully visited Margaret Nduta, a Kenyan national detained in Ho Chi Minh Prison in Vietnam on drug trafficking charges.
Nduta, who was arrested in July 2023 at Ho Chi Minh City Airport for allegedly smuggling narcotics into the country, is currently on death row following a conviction by a Vietnamese court.
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The trial, however, was held without her being represented by legal counsel, raising serious concerns about due process and fair trial standards.
Sing'oei, in an update shared on his official X account, noted that while Nduta remains deeply distressed, she is receiving humane treatment from Vietnamese authorities.
He also revealed that an appeal has since been filed and is expected to be heard soon, offering a potential lifeline as Nairobi intensifies diplomatic engagements with Hanoi to explore alternative resolutions.
Quiet diplomacy
Describing the situation as "difficult," Sing'oei affirmed that Kenya is pursuing quiet diplomacy, leveraging bilateral ties and consular channels in an effort to secure relief for Nduta.
He did not provide further details on what options are on the table, but such efforts typically include sentence commutation, clemency requests, or prisoner transfer agreements, depending on the host country's legal provisions.
The incident has prompted Nairobi to issue a stern warning to Kenyans against getting involved in drug and human trafficking syndicates, with Sing'oei calling such activities "dangerous and ruinous."
His message comes amid a rising trend of Kenyan nationals falling prey to international trafficking networks, often lured by promises of easy money, only to face harsh penalties abroad.
Nduta's case highlights the perilous cost of such ventures and places Kenya's consular support mechanisms under scrutiny, even as the government continues to advocate for the rights and welfare of its citizens abroad.
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