Margaret Nduta Macharia, a 37-year-old woman from Kenya, is facing execution in Vietnam because she was found guilty of drug trafficking. On March 6, 2025, a court in Ho Chi Minh City sentenced her to death after she was arrested in July 2023 at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport.
Police found over two kilograms of cocaine hidden in her suitcase. Vietnam has stringent laws about drugs, and they can give the death penalty for large amounts of illegal drugs.
Nduta is from Karikwe village in Kiharu, Murang’a County, Kenya. She was travelling to Laos when she was caught in Vietnam.
She says she did not know about the drugs in her bag and claims a Kenyan man named “John” asked her to take the suitcase to a woman in Laos.
She said she received $1,300 (around KSh 167,000) for this task, and her flight was paid for.
Nduta mentioned that she passed security checks at three airports—Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Bole International Airport in Ethiopia, and Hamad International Airport in Qatar—before being stopped in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Vietnamese prosecutors did not believe her story and said she was responsible for the drugs in her suitcase.
This case has worried many people in Kenya. Nduta’s family and some public figures are asking the government for help.
Her mother, Purity Wangari, was very upset when she learnt about the death sentence from online reports on March 8.
“It was the first time my daughter was travelling overseas to find better opportunities,” Wangari said while crying. “I ask the authorities to help bring her home, even if she has to serve her sentence here.”
The family believes Nduta was tricked, claiming a man named “Njoroge” gave her the suitcase under pretences.
After the sentencing, they had seven days to appeal the decision, but that time expired on March 12, 2025. Since no appeal has been filed or reported as successful, Nduta’s execution, probably by lethal injection, could happen very soon.
In Vietnam, death sentences must be checked by the Supreme People’s Court and other authorities, and there is a final chance for mercy from the State President. However, as of today, March 16, 2025, there have been no updates about Nduta’s case.
Kenyan leaders are supporting the family’s request for action. Babu Owino, a member of parliament, called on President William Ruto to talk directly with Vietnamese officials to negotiate Nduta’s release, saying she might have been caught in a difficult situation.
Senator Richard Onyonka also urged the president to work for a lighter punishment or to bring Nduta back to Kenya to face justice here. Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu also asked for government help in fighting the verdict.
Nduta’s case draws attention to Vietnam’s strict rules on drug trafficking, which are connected to its role as a transit point in the Golden Triangle region. Her situation shows the danger for people who unknowingly get involved in drug networks.
The family, already suffering from the news, faced more sadness: Nduta’s grandmother died after hearing about her death sentence. They continue to hope for help as Nduta’s life hangs in the balance.
The Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not given an official statement about the situation, leaving uncertainty about any diplomatic action.
