Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has pleaded with Vietnam to grant a stay of execution while authorities continued investigations to identify the true culprits in a drug trafficking case involving Margaret Nduta, a 37-year-old Kenyan woman sentenced to death.
In a statement shared via her X account on Sunday, March 16, 2025, the lawmaker called on the Kenyan and Vietnamese governments to collaborate in saving her life. She emphasized that justice must be served fairly and proportionally, ensuring that all responsible parties, from sender to receiver, are held accountable.
Without this, she warned, an innocent person could be executed while the drug trafficking network remains intact. Passaris also stressed the need for vigilance when traveling and highlighted the risks of misplaced trust.
“The case of Margaret Nduta underscores the importance of vigilance when traveling and the unfortunate reality of misplaced trust. While respecting Vietnam’s judicial process, we urge the authorities to consider a stay of execution as efforts continue to identify the true culprits,” Passaris stated.
Adding;
“Justice should be pursued with fairness and proportionality, ensuring that all responsible parties are held accountable from the sender to receiver otherwise the drugtrail will be broken and an innocent person executed. We call on both governments to collaborate in uncovering the full truth.”
Earlier, Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’oei revealed that he had spoken with Nguyen Minh Hang, Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, regarding Kenya’s plea for clemency. He conveyed Kenya’s deep concern over the impending execution and expressed hope for a diplomatic solution.
He noted that Vietnam’s government is considering Kenya’s appeal, and the Kenyan mission in Bangkok is actively monitoring the situation.
“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 find a path to resolving the issue,” Sing’oei stated.
Adding;
“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 Bankok is actively following up the case in situ.”
He however, acknowledged the complexities surrounding the case. Sing’oei expressed gratitude towards Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka for his petition to President William Ruto concerning Nduta’s situation, emphasizing that the government is utilizing all available resources to secure a reprieve for her.
“Thank you, Hon.@RichardOnyonka_ for your Petition. Nduta’s case is complex and difficult, but we are doing everything within our disposal to secure a reprieve for our national,” Sing’oei admitted.
Nduta’s case
Nduta was convicted by the People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City on March 6, 2025, after being found guilty of smuggling over two kilograms of cocaine through Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Under Vietnam’s strict drug laws, possession of such large quantities carries a mandatory death sentence.
Authorities arrested Nduta in July 2023 while she was in transit through Ho Chi Minh City en route to Laos. She claimed she was unaware that her luggage contained illegal drugs and insisted she was tricked by a Kenyan man known only as John, who paid her $1,300 (Ksh167,000) to deliver a suitcase to a woman in Laos. Her travel expenses were also covered.
Before her arrest, Nduta had passed through security checks at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Bole International Airport in Ethiopia, and Hamad International Airport in Qatar. Upon her arrival in Ho Chi Minh City on July 14, 2023, customs officials discovered a hidden compartment in her suitcase containing the drugs.
During her trial, Nduta maintained that she did not know about the drugs. However, the prosecution dismissed her defense and held her fully responsible for trafficking narcotics.
Back in Kenya, her family has made desperate appeal for government intervention. Her mother, Purity Wangari, a resident of Karikwe village in Kiharu, Murang’a County, said she only learned of her daughter’s sentencing through the internet on March 8. Devastated by the news, she is pleading with the Kenyan government to intervene and bring her daughter home.
