As Kenyans anxiously wait to see what will happen to 37-year-old Margaret Nduta, who is facing execution in Vietnam for drug trafficking, another Kenyan woman has been handed a heavy prison sentence for a similar crime.
A 55-year-old woman has been sentenced to 50 years in jail by a court in Busia after being found guilty of trafficking narcotics.
The court ruled that the prosecution had presented enough evidence to prove her involvement in drug trafficking, specifically in a case involving 3.9 kilograms of heroin.
She was convicted under Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act No. 4 of 2022. The court also imposed a hefty fine of Ksh50 million, which she must pay to avoid serving the long prison term.
Her arrest took place on March 10, 2023, at the Busia One Border Point, where authorities found her in possession of the heroin, which had an estimated street value of Ksh11.8 million.
This sentencing comes at a time when Kenya is actively engaging in diplomatic talks with Vietnam in a desperate bid to save Margaret Nduta from execution.
Nduta was convicted of smuggling more than two kilograms of narcotics into Vietnam and was sentenced to death by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court on Thursday, March 6.
She was arrested at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, one of Vietnam’s busiest airports, and charged with trafficking illegal substances. Her conviction has intensified diplomatic efforts by Kenya to seek clemency on her behalf.
In a last-minute effort to prevent her execution, a team from Kenya’s embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, traveled to Vietnam to plead for Nduta’s life.
According to Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei, Kenyan diplomats in Thailand are working closely with Vietnamese authorities to try and secure a stay of execution while further negotiations continue.
Meanwhile, back in Kenya, authorities are continuing their crackdown on illegal drug-related activities.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested two individuals—one Kenyan and one Burundian national—after they were found growing marijuana on a half-acre piece of land in Kidifamaco Estate, Kikuyu, Kiambu County.
The arrest followed a tip-off from a concerned resident who noticed that the land was covered with suspicious plants, overshadowing nearby maize and potato plantations.
Acting on the information, DCI officers raided the farm, confirmed the presence of marijuana, and took the suspects into custody.
“The discovery and subsequent arrest of the two individuals happened after an observant member of the public noticed that some unusual plants were flourishing in Kidifamaco Estate, making their maize and potato farms look insignificant,” the DCI said in a statement.
Authorities have warned that they will continue cracking down on illegal drug trade and cultivation as part of the government’s efforts to combat drug-related crimes across the country.
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