Kenyan Woman To Be Executed In Vietnam For Drug Trafficking

By Lisbeth Micheni, Kenya 

Margaret Nduta Macharia, a 37-year-old Kenyan national, is set to be executed today, Sunday, after being convicted of drug trafficking in Vietnam.

Ms. Macharia was arrested in July 2023 at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City when authorities found over two kilograms of cocaine hidden in her luggage.

She had traveled undetected through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya, Bole International Airport in Ethiopia, and Hamad International Airport in Qatar before arriving in Vietnam.

During her trial, she claimed she was unaware of the drugs and had been hired by a Kenyan man known as John to deliver the suitcase to a woman in Laos for a payment of $1,300 and covered travel expenses.

However, the court found her guilty on March 6, 2025, and sentenced her to death.

Her mother, Purity Wangui, who resides in Weithaga village, Murang’a County, Kenya, has pleaded with Kenyan authorities, including President William Ruto and local Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro, to intervene and have her daughter repatriated to serve her sentence in Kenya.

Lacking the financial means to travel to Vietnam, Ms. Wangui has expressed deep sorrow, saying she wishes she could see her daughter one last time.

According to Vietnamese authorities, Ms. Macharia is scheduled to have her final meal at 7:30 p.m. local time, followed by her execution at 8:30 p.m.