In the tranquil village of Karikwe in Kiharu, Murang’a County, a family is reaching out for help from the Kenyan government after their daughter, Margaret Nduta Macharia, was sentenced to death in Vietnam.
She was convicted of smuggling over two kilograms of cocaine and faced the people’s court in Ho Chi Minh City on March 6.
Margaret’s troubles began in July 2023 when she was arrested during a transit in Laos. Her family, in a state of shock, discovered her arrest and subsequent sentencing only through online sources just last week. It’s been a devastating revelation for them.
Her mother, Purity Wangari, is pleading for the authorities’ assistance to bring her daughter back home, hoping she can serve her sentence in Kenya. “It was the first time my daughter was traveling overseas, looking for better opportunities. I’m asking the authorities to help bring her home, even if it means she serves her sentence here,” Wangari expressed.
The family believes Margaret was unknowingly tricked into carrying the incriminating luggage by a fellow Kenyan man, who allegedly persuaded her to deliver it to a woman abroad.
Despite the grim situation, the Macharia family remains hopeful that diplomatic efforts could allow Margaret to serve her time in Kenya, potentially sparing her from a death sentence in Vietnam.
