Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei has confirmed that a Kenyan team from Bangkok has secured travel visas and visited Hoi Chi Minh Prison in Vietnam, where Margaret Nduta, a Kenyan imprisoned on drug-related charges, is being held.
In a statement on his X account, Sing’oei confirmed that Nduta is alive and coping with her situation.
He explained that she was convicted without legal representation, but a recently filed appeal is set to be heard soon.
“We can confirm that while deeply distressed, Margaret is coping and has been treated humanely. Though she was not represented by counsel during her trial, an appeal filed a few days ago will be heard soon,” Sing’oei stated.
He added, “In the meantime, we continue to engage our Vietnamese counterparts on other options for resolving this difficult matter.”
Nduta was arrested in 2023 upon her arrival at an airport in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, after being found with two kilograms of cocaine. However, her family maintains that she was framed.
Sing’oei also issued a stern warning to Kenyans, advising them against getting involved in drug or human trafficking. “Kenyans are strongly advised not to be tempted or lured into any form of drug or human trafficking. It is an extremely dangerous and costly misadventure,” he cautioned.
Vietnam enforces some of the strictest drug laws globally, with penalties ranging from long-term imprisonment to the death sentence for severe offenses.
