Exclusive: Margaret Nduta was bound for Laos, not Vietnam

By Wanderi Kamau

The family of Margaret Nduta, the Kenyan woman recently jailed in Vietnam for drug trafficking, insists she was never meant to travel to the South East Asian nation – but to Laos, a neighbouring country.

In an emotional and exclusive interview with Newsflash Kenya, Nduta’s twin sister, Rosemary Wambui Macharia, recounted the family’s disbelief at the unexpected turn of events that landed her sibling in a foreign prison.

“Firstly, Nduta left Kenya by bus and travelled to Ethiopia, where her flight was booked,” Wambui explained.
“Her flight was from Ethiopia to Qatar, then from Qatar to Laos, where she was destined to go for work. I was surprised to learn that she was in Vietnam. It left me in shock. It is a big shock that left us with questions.”

A simple life in Ruai

Nduta, who had lived most of her life in Ruai, Nairobi, had been a casual labourer.

Over the years, she worked in multiple short-term government initiatives – from Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga’s “Kazi Kwa Vijana” programme, to the National Youth Service jobs, and most recently, the “Kazi Mtaani” initiative under former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

When the current administration scrapped Kazi Mtaani, life became unbearable for her.

With no husband, children or steady job, she began seeking opportunities abroad. She also took up jobs in quarries at Mtalia and Joska, keeping records for trucks delivering construction materials.

Her sister recalls that the turning point came in late 2022, when Nduta learned of a woman named Faith — also known as “Fai” — who could help her secure overseas employment.

“Nduta told me that there is a lady called Fai (Faith) whom she was told could help her get a job abroad. She was told by Faith that she [Faith] had a friend (a lady) who helps ladies to secure jobs abroad. That’s how she accepted the offer,” Wambui said.

Faith and her associates would meet prospective recruits at Thika Road Mall (TRM), where they explained the requirements, including a passport. Nduta was not asked to pay any money for the arrangements.

A mother’s blessing

At the time, Nduta, 37, was living with their ailing mother. Their father had just passed away. After informing her mother of the job opportunity, she received her blessing.

By June 2023, Nduta had attended several interviews at TRM alongside other women. Initially, she was told she would fly directly from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). But later, she received instructions to first travel to Ethiopia — with another woman — for “training.”

Rosemary Wambui Macharia, Nduta’s twin sister. Photo/Newsflash

“At first, she had objected, but her handlers pestered her. They told her that there were many ladies looking for the same opportunities,” Wambui recalled.

The handlers communicated in Swahili. Nduta left work early on the day of her departure, called her sister, and together they walked to the stage where she boarded a bus from Huruma to Ethiopia. The journey took two days.

The new bag

Upon arrival in Ethiopia, Nduta was told the training would last “a week and some days.” She later informed her sister that she was treated well by her hosts.

Then came a moment that, in hindsight, feels critical.

“In the middle of their preparations, they bought her a new bag, saying that the one she had was “old” and “small.” They said that when I reach my destination, I may need to buy more clothes and put them in the new bag,” Wambui narrated.

The hosts opened the new bag for her, checked it, then had her transfer her belongings from the old bag. It was raining, and they even had her passport. She was rushed to leave around 9 or 10 p.m. when the taxi arrived.

“She was given her stuff (in the new bag) and told to go to the airport to board the plane,” Wambui said.

From Ethiopia, Nduta flew to Qatar, where she told her sister she was feeling dizzy. Wambui advised her to take a painkiller and drink some water. While in Qatar, she learned her final destination would be Laos.

The disappearance

After boarding her connecting flight, Nduta went offline for an unusually long time.

“I started having some fears…I told my friend about it. However, she told me that maybe she hadn’t got some Wi-Fi to connect,” Wambui said.

Wambui called her directly, using the Sh100 airtime balance she had left.

“She just answered, ‘Hi siz’; and our call was disconnected,” Wambui recounted. “When I tried to buy airtime to call her again, she didn’t answer my call…up to now.”

Since then, the Vietnamese authorities have not allowed Nduta to use a phone to contact her family.

Unanswered questions

Wambui says her sister has never travelled outside Kenya before, nor has she been jailed in any other country — contrary to rumours circulating on social media.

“The government has been assuring us that it is doing everything possible to have her repatriated back to Kenya,” she said.

Vietnamese officials claim Nduta was arrested in possession of 2.3 kilograms of cocaine, valued at approximately Sh7 million. How she came to be in Vietnam, however, remains a mystery to her family.

The family believes the sudden change of travel plans, the mysterious “training” in Ethiopia, the new bag, and the lack of direct communication all point to the possibility that Nduta was an unwitting drug mule.

Nduta’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment after intervention by the Kenyan government.