Relief for Margaret Nduta as her death sentence is commuted to life imprisonment
She also has an opportunity to seek clemency, whose powers are vested in the Vietnamese President
Thirty-seven-year-old Kenyan woman, Margaret Macharia Nduta, who was facing execution in Vietnam, can now have a sigh of relief after the country’s Supreme Court commuted her death sentence to life imprisonment.
The relief came after recent amendments in Vietnam’s penal code provided her with a lifeline, exempting her from facing the death sentence.
In a sitting of the Vietnam Supreme Court sitting in Hoh Chi Minh City, Nduta pleaded her case and cited that she was a transit passenger set to travel to Laos, a neighbouring Asian country.
The woman from Murang’a indicated that she was arrested after a connecting flight was delayed while in possession of the drugs that she claimed were loaded without her knowledge.
She pleaded with the apex court for a reduced sentence in line with the recent changes in law. Upon review, the Supreme Court judges deemed that she was guilty but commuted the sentence from the death penalty to life imprisonment.
She also has an opportunity to seek clemency, whose powers are vested in the Vietnamese President.
The sigh of relief comes after the Kenyan government formally intervened, delaying her execution, which had already been scheduled.
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi early this year stated that the government was working towards resolving the case for Nduta, he said it is unfortunate that she is facing the situation.
His ministry and the Vietnamese authority were seeking mitigation even as he called for an address of Kenyans respecting the laws of every country.
“It is not a pleasant situation, but we hope a solution is found even though we need to address some issues,” Mudavadi, who is also the Prime CS, reiterated.
He emphasised that Kenyans should not be perceived as conduits for illicit trade, human trafficking, illegal firearms, drugs, and contrabands.
Nduta was to face execution via lethal injection after she was found guilty of possessing 2 kilogrammes of cocaine.
Her family held prayers as they urged the government to intensify diplomatic efforts for her repatriation.
