Kenyan woman arrested for drug trafficking in Vietnam to be executed tomorrow

Margaret Nduta Macharia, a 37-year-old Kenyan national, is scheduled to be executed in Vietnam tomorrow, Monday, March 17, 2025, following her conviction for drug trafficking.

In July 2023, Vietnamese authorities arrested Ms Macharia at Ho Chi Minh City's Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport after discovering over two kilograms of cocaine concealed in her luggage. She had travelled through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya, Bole International Airport in Ethiopia, and Hamad International Airport in Qatar without detection before her apprehension in Vietnam.

During her trial, Ms Macharia claimed that a Kenyan man known only as John had hired her to transport the suitcase to a woman in Laos, for which she received $1,300 and had her travel expenses covered. She maintained that she was unaware of the suitcase's contents. However, the court found her guilty of drug trafficking on March 6, 2025, and sentenced her to death.

Vietnam enforces some of the world's strictest drug laws, with capital punishment applicable for trafficking over 600 grams of heroin or cocaine.

Ms Macharia's mother, Purity Wangui, residing in Weithaga village, Murang’a County, Kenya, is distraught over her daughter's impending execution.

She is appealing to 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.

Ms Wangui, lacking the financial means to travel to Vietnam, is desperate to see her daughter one last time before the execution.

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