Kenyan leaders have come together in an urgent appeal to save Margaret Nduta Macharia, a 37-year-old woman sentenced to death in Vietnam over drug trafficking allegations.
The case has attracted national attention, with growing concerns over how the government is handling the issue and whether enough is being done to protect Kenyan citizens abroad.
Senator Richard Onyonka has taken the lead in pushing for diplomatic intervention. He has called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to step in and negotiate for Nduta’s repatriation so she can face trial under Kenyan law instead of being executed in Vietnam.
In a letter to the Senate, Onyonka expressed his concern over her sentencing and questioned whether the government had done enough to prevent such incidents.
He wants the Senate’s Committee on National Security, Defence, and Foreign Relations to provide clear details on what legal support Nduta is receiving.
The senator has also demanded a report on how many Kenyans are imprisoned in foreign countries, the charges they face, and what efforts the government is making to assist them.
Onyonka also raised concerns about how Nduta managed to leave Kenya with illegal substances. He is pressing the Immigration Department to explain security weaknesses at airports and what measures are being taken to stop drug trafficking at Kenyan exit points.
He insists that security agencies must take responsibility and ensure that similar incidents do not happen again.
Calling for clemency, Onyonka has asked the government to push for a lesser sentence, such as life imprisonment, or any other alternative that would spare Nduta from execution.
He believes that diplomatic talks should be held to bring her back to Kenya, where she can serve a prison sentence instead of facing the death penalty in a foreign land.
Nduta was arrested at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City in July 2023. Vietnamese authorities found over 2kg of drugs concealed in her luggage. Investigations revealed that she had been recruited by a man in Kenya who promised her $1,300 to transport the package to Laos.
During her trial, Nduta claimed she did not know the suitcase contained drugs, but the court rejected her defense and sentenced her to death. Vietnam has some of the toughest drug laws in the world, with traffickers often receiving the death penalty.
The case has caused public outcry, with many Kenyans urging the government to act before it is too late. Sabina Chege has also joined the calls for urgent action, warning that the window for intervention is closing fast.
She emphasized the need for the government to educate citizens about legal risks abroad and encourage them to seek help from Kenyan embassies when in trouble.
With mounting pressure from leaders and the public, attention is now on the government’s next move. Many Kenyans are watching closely to see whether diplomatic efforts will succeed in bringing Nduta home or if she will face execution in Vietnam.
The case has raised serious questions about the protection of Kenyan citizens abroad and the country’s ability to negotiate for their rights when they find themselves in foreign legal trouble.
