SOCIETY TALK: Margaret Nduta’s woes: When will Kenyans ever learn?

I have never even seen drugs in my life, but at that moment, I even suspected myself. Did I? Did someone mess with my luggage? Did someone accidentally bump into me and slip me something? The whole plane seemed to be frozen in time, everyone second-guessing themselves and peering suspiciously at others. The cold tone of that announcement was the foretelling of one's fate should he or she have drugs on them.

That's how such countries handle such issues. No negotiations, no pleading, no excuses, no nothing… just death. Hearing such things exposes one to how serious some countries handle matters. You learn very quickly that you are not in your country and that the nonsense you are used to pulling off at home will probably get you killed elsewhere.

As Kenyans rallied behind Margaret Nduta all weekend long, I couldn't help but remember that very chilling moment on the plane. As most of us know by now, Margaret Nduta was sentenced to death in Vietnam last week for the charge of smuggling 2kg of cocaine into the country in 2023. 

The narrative changed over the years. She was going for a job, she was taking a suitcase to someone, her suitcase ripped and her ‘agent’ replaced it with another… The story always boils down to the same plot, a poor woman who was taken advantage of by a stranger with the promise of a better future.

Before we delve into the deeper issue at hand, my mind immediately sprung to: “What better future are we seeking in Vietnam?” A low-income Kenyan is a thousand times much better living in Kenya than in countries like Vietnam, Laos, Thailand or the Philippines.

Trust me, I feel for any poor or innocent person who is taken advantage of. At the same time, how much longer will we keep crying about the same old story? Don't we ever learn? Are the promises of riches in faraway countries that difficult to say no to? How many other stories of Margaret Ndutas do we have to hear until we develop the ability to say no to conmen with dodgy promises of jobs and wealth?

Unfortunately for us, Nduta's story is not the first or the last of such stories we will hear. Be it promises of green cards in America, jobs in the Middle East or schooling in China and Russia, Kenyans are easily deceived with the promise of leaving the country and making it big elsewhere. Even after the Foreign Affairs ministry has warned people on multiple occasions that these countries operate on their own laws and once a person is charged in said country, there is very little Kenya can do to save you.

I wonder how many Kenyans are wasting away in prisons all over the world, be it from scams or through self-committed crimes. Our country does not have a seat at the negotiation table in diplomatic affairs. Calling on the President to make a plea for your brethren is not going to make a difference because he has no pull (insert shrug emoji). It is what it is.

We see America negotiating for their people because they always have something to offer, and sometimes even their own citizens learn the hard way that their precious country cannot save them.

The next time someone tries to charm you with golden opportunities abroad, remember the stories of people like Margaret Nduta. Remember that you come from a weak nation that cannot negotiate for your life. Remember that living free and poor in your country is much better than dying like a criminal in a foreign country.