Busia woman gets 50 years in prison for drug trafficking

As Kenyans await the fate of 37-year-old Margaret Nduta set for execution in Vietnam for drug trafficking, another woman has received a hefty prison sentence for drug trafficking.

The 55-year-old woman has been sentenced to serve 50 years in jail for trafficking 3.9 Kg of heroin.

The Busia court sentenced Mwaura Mumbi to serve 50 years imprisonment or pay a fine of Ksh. 50 million on Tuesday after the prosecution proved a drug trafficking case against her.

Mumbi was found guilty of trafficking in narcotic drugs contrary to section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act No.4 of 2022.

She was arrested on March 10, 2023, at Busia One Border Point, with 3.9 kg of heroin with a street value of Ksh. 11,808,000.

The prosecution, led by Counsel Eric Mose, successfully proved its case after presenting compelling testimonies from 10 prosecution witnesses and exhibits in court.

The court ordered her to pay a fine of Ksh50 million to avoid a prison sentence.

The sentencing coincides with Kenya's ongoing diplomatic negotiations with Vietnam, seeking the repatriation of Margaret Nduta, a Kenyan national facing execution for drug trafficking.

Nduta was arrested at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's busiest transport hub, after being found with over two kilograms of narcotics.

On Thursday, March 6, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court handed her a death sentence, underscoring the country’s strict anti-drug policies.

In a bid to intervene, a delegation from Kenya’s embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, recently traveled to Hanoi to seek clemency for Nduta.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei confirmed that Kenya’s representatives in Thailand were engaging Vietnamese authorities in discussions to delay the execution and explore possible diplomatic solutions.