24 August 2025 :
Margaret Nduta, the Kenyan woman condemned to death in Vietnam for drug trafficking, can now heave a sigh of relief after a Vietnamese court on July 31, 2025 commuted her death penalty to a life sentence.
Nduta was arrested in July 2023 upon arrival in Hoh Chi Minh for allegedly trafficking two kilos of narcotics.
In Vietnam, the laws dictate that those caught trafficking at least 100 grams of narcotics face the death penalty.
This was also the case for Nduta, who was found guilty of the offense. However, the recent amendments of Vietnam's Penal Code provided Nduta a lifeline as the nation exempted drug trafficking from facing the death sentence.
The new ruling was announced by Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Korir Sing’oei, who revealed that further efforts to secure her release were still ongoing.
“Yes we have received the decision from the Supreme Court in Vietnam,” Sing’oei told Kenyans.co.ke. “The next step is to initiate diplomatic efforts to help her further, but the commuting of her sentence is a positive step.”
Following the commuting of her death sentence, Nduta has been handed a lifeline and she can now apply for leniency or clemency in pursuit of her freedom.
Under Vietnamese law, a person convicted of a serious crime can apply for leniency under special circumstances, but only the president has the power to grant clemency.
Nduta made headlines in March 2025 after she was convicted of smuggling over two kilograms of narcotics.
This followed her apprehension at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, which is one of the biggest transport hubs in the Asian nation.
On March 6, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court sentenced Nduta to execution in a move that reinforced the nation's harsh stance on narcotics-related crimes.
Despite her clemency lifeline, freedom for Nduta is not guaranteed since Vietnam has a zero-tolerance policy on illicit trades.
It is also worth noting that Nduta’s commutation does not necessarily imply a total rejection of her conviction. The process of applying for clemency is also a tedious one, as it involves applying to the President of Vietnam, who will consider several factors before making a decision.
The Kenyan government can attempt to apply diplomatic pressure on Vietnam to secure the release and subsequent repatriation of Nduta back to Kenya, but the chances of that are slim since Vietnam is known to prioritise national safety and strict laws against drugs.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi on July 30 revealed the government planned to repatriate over 1000 Kenyans jailed abroad, following the successful release of Stephen Munyacko from death row in Saudi Arabia.
