Margaret Nduta
Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’Oei has announced that a team of Kenyan diplomats has met Margaret Nduta who is in a Vietnamese prison.
In a statement on Friday, Sing’Oei said the Kenyan 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 Chin Mihn Prison in Vietnam where Margaret Nduta is presently held. We can confirm that while deeply distressed, Margaret is coping and has been treated humanely,” said Sing’Oei.
The Foreign Affairs PS also noted that Nduta has appealed the death sentence verdict that is expected to be heard soon.
Further, Sing’Oei said the government is still engaging the Vietnamese authorities to resolve Nduta’s case
“Though Margaret was not represented by counsel during the 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.
“Kenyans are strongly advised not to get tempted or lured into any form of drug or human trafficking. It is an extremely dangerous and costly misadventure,” he added.
Nduta was sentenced to death in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, after being found guilty of trafficking more than 2 kilos of cocaine through the local airport.
According to court documents, Nduta was hired by a man called John from Kenya to transport a suitcase to Laos.
She was instructed to deliver the suitcase to a woman in Laos and then return with unspecified ‘goods’.
Nduta was paid $1,300 by John and her plane tickets were also paid for, according to the indictment.
The defendant traveled through several countries from 7 July before arriving at HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat airport on 14 July.
Her flight arrived late and airport staff instructed Nduta to complete the procedures to enter Vietnam so they could help her book a ticket to Laos.
She was arrested after officials checked her luggage and discovered that her suitcase had been modified with a second bottom, concealing the cocaine.
In her defense, Nduta claimed she did not know the suitcase contained drugs when she received it.
