Nairobi – The Kenyan government is making frantic efforts to save Margaret Macharia Nduta, a 37-year-old Kenyan woman facing execution in Vietnam for drug smuggling. Nduta was convicted on March 6th by the People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City after being apprehended in July 2023 for smuggling over two kilograms of cocaine while in transit to Laos.

Kenyans have been imploring President William Ruto to intervene in the case. Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has also petitioned President Ruto to explore diplomatic avenues to save Nduta’s life. Onyonka suggested three options: pleading for clemency, seeking Nduta's repatriation to serve her sentence in Kenya, and garnering support from the United Nations and other human rights organizations.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary (PS) Korir Sing’Oei acknowledged the government's awareness of the case and the petition from Senator Onyonka. In a tweet, Sing’Oei described Nduta’s case as "complex and difficult" but assured that the government is doing everything within its power to secure a reprieve.

PS Sing’Oei revealed that he had a telephone conversation with Nguyen Minh Hang, Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, conveying the anxiety of the Kenyan people and reiterating the request for a stay of execution to allow both countries to find a resolution. He expressed gratitude for the assurance that the petition is under consideration by Vietnamese authorities. Kenya's mission in Bangkok is actively following up on the case.

Nduta's family learned about her arrest and sentencing through the internet on March 8th. Her mother, Purity Wangari, has pleaded with the government to intervene and have her daughter repatriated to serve her sentence in Kenya.

However, the government's efforts face significant challenges. Kenya lacks an embassy in Hanoi, and Vietnam has no diplomatic mission in Nairobi, limiting diplomatic leverage. Mwangi Maina, founding director of Kenyan Foreign Policy, suggested that Vietnam’s legal system is notoriously unforgiving when it comes to drug smuggling and that external appeals rarely succeed. He noted that Vietnam does not routinely consider diplomatic pressure in capital punishment cases.

If diplomatic efforts fail, Nduta is expected to be executed at 8:30 PM Kenyan time on Sunday, March 16th. Initially, Vietnam used firing squads for executions but transitioned to lethal injection in 2011 following the passage of the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgements.

According to Advocates for Human Rights, Vietnam typically uses three drugs during lethal injection: one to induce unconsciousness, one to cause paralysis, and one to stop heart function. The execution process involves a series of injections, with checks to ensure the convict has lost consciousness before proceeding.

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has also urged President Ruto to directly engage with Vietnam to secure Nduta's release, asserting her innocence and imploring the Kenyan government not to abandon her.

Despite the challenges, the Kenyan government continues to pursue diplomatic options to save Margaret Nduta from execution.