Court Hands Kenyan Woman 50-Year Sentence for Drug Trafficking
A 55-year-old Kenyan woman has been given a 50-year prison sentence for trafficking drugs.
This follows the recent sentencing of 37-year-old Margaret Nduta, sparking further discussion in Kenya.
The Busia law court found the 55-year-old guilty of drug trafficking. The prosecution presented evidence that she possessed 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 fine of Ksh50 million, which she must pay to avoid the lengthy jail term. Her arrest occurred on March 10, 2023, at the Busia One Border Point, where the heroin, valued at Ksh11.8 million, was discovered.
This sentencing coincides with Kenya’s diplomatic efforts to assist Margaret Nduta. She faces execution in Vietnam after being convicted of smuggling over two kilograms of narcotics.
Nduta was apprehended at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.
On Thursday, March 6, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court issued the execution order, highlighting Vietnam’s strict anti-drug policies.
On Monday, Kenyan embassy representatives from Bangkok, Thailand, traveled to Hanoi, Vietnam. They aimed to prevent Nduta’s execution.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei stated that the ambassadors would seek clemency and a delay of the execution. This would allow for further talks between Kenya and Vietnam.
Separately, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested two individuals. One Kenyan and one Burundian national were found growing marijuana on a half-acre plot in Kidifamaco Estate, Kikuyu, Kiambu.
“The discovery and subsequent arrest of the two was prompted by information from a concerned citizen, who reported that suspicious plants were growing in Kidifamaco Estate, dwarfing the local maize and potato crops,” the DCI statement explained.
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Court Hands Kenyan Woman 50-Year Sentence for Drug Trafficking
