Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei has assured that the government is making every possible effort to save the life of a Kenyan facing execution in Vietnam.
This marks the first official response to growing calls for diplomatic intervention following Margaret Nduta Macharia’s death sentence for drug trafficking.
“Nduta’s case is complex and difficult, but we are doing everything within our means to secure reprieve for our national,” Sing’oei stated in a post on X.
He was responding to an open letter from Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka, who had appealed to President William Ruto to intervene and save Nduta, who was reportedly only hours away from execution.
In his letter dated March 14, Onyonka urged Ruto to seek clemency and repatriation for Nduta. The 37-year-old Kenyan was sentenced to death in Vietnam on drug trafficking charges and was scheduled for execution on Sunday.
Onyonka emphasised the need for urgent action, calling on the government to safeguard Nduta’s fundamental rights through diplomatic negotiations.
While recognising Vietnam’s judicial sovereignty, he urged President Ruto to engage the Vietnamese government, the United Nations, and international human rights organisations to secure a more lenient sentence or facilitate her transfer to Kenya.
“This distressing development calls for urgent diplomatic intervention to safeguard her fundamental rights and explore the possibility of clemency and repatriation,” Onyonka wrote.
Meanwhile, Gatundu North MP Elijah Njoroge Kururia claimed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had reached out to Vietnamese authorities regarding the looming execution.
Speaking during a TikTok Live session, Kururia expressed hope, stating that the government had made a last-ditch effort to save Nduta.
"I can confirm that the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted Vietnam yesterday and are waiting for feedback," he said.
Onyonka outlined three key options including a plea for
clemency to commute the death sentence to life imprisonment or an alternative
penalty.
Onyonka also called for diplomatic negotiations for her repatriation to Kenya to serve her sentence under local laws.
He also called for engagement with international human
rights bodies to support Kenya’s efforts in securing her fair treatment.
