Gatundu North MP Elijah Njoroge Kururia has stepped forward to reveal that the President and the Kenyan government, in general, have reached out to the Vietnamese authorities in a bid to persuade them to suspend the execution of Kenyan national Margaret Nduta Macharia.
Speaking during a TikTok Live session hosted by user @viki_na_liam on the evening of Saturday, March 15, 2025, Kururia disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had taken the lead in the intervention. However, he noted that they remained in suspense as Vietnam had yet to provide a response as swiftly as they had hoped.
He further stated that the Southeast Asian nation had shown unwavering resistance to Kenya’s plea for the lifting of the execution order on the Kenyan national, adding that they were still holding out hope that Vietnam might reconsider its stance.
“And I’m reporting that the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have reached out to Vietnam since yesterday, but as of now, no response has been received. Vietnam has remained adamant on this matter.”
Crucial intel
Kururia went on to elaborate that he had obtained this crucial intelligence after succumbing to mounting pressure from Kenyans, who urged him to reach out to high-ranking officials within the government to ascertain whether the President had taken any action or was merely waiting.
It was then that he confirmed having made the call and received confirmation that the President was indeed fully aware of the unfolding developments.
“So I have heard many people asking whether the President is aware—yes, he is. You can relax. The Kenyan government is still waiting for a response. I listened to your concerns and made the necessary call to confirm whether the President had intervened.”
The MP, who recently wowed netizens after gifting comedian Henry Desagu Ksh1 million, also spoke on the cruciality of the matter, saying the worst may come to pass if the country fails to give a positive response.
Nonetheless, he expressed optimism that a positive outcome from Vietnam would mean Nduta’s life could still be spared.
“There are two possible outcomes. If they respond positively, the young lady will be saved. If they don’t, she won’t be.”
Watch the video here:
Despite Kururia’s remarks, neither the government nor the President himself have issued an official statement regarding his intervention in the matter.
Nduta’s Verdict
Nduta was convicted on 6 March 2025 for trafficking two kilogrammes of cocaine and now faces execution scheduled for Sunday, 16 March 2025.
She was arrested in July 2023 while en route to Laos, where authorities discovered the illicit substances in her possession.
Vietnam enforces some of the world’s harshest narcotics laws, with anyone found guilty of trafficking 100 grammes or more of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, or amphetamine facing the death penalty.
Nonetheless, drug trafficking remains rampant.
In 2023 alone, authorities apprehended 41,400 suspects in connection with 26,469 cases—up from 36,000 traffickers and 24,000 cases recorded in 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Public Security.
With her fate hanging in the balance, Nduta’s family maintains that she was framed.
“We are devastated as a family. We cannot believe that Nduta—the daughter we know to be upright and who only left the country in 2023 to seek better opportunities—could have been involved in drug trafficking,” the family lamented while pleading for intervention to overturn the verdict.
