Court Convicts Ex-Migori Governor Over Killing of Sharon Otieno
Former Kenyan county governor Okoth Obado has been found guilty of murdering Sharon Otieno, a 26-year-old university student who was pregnant at the time of her death.
Otieno’s body was discovered in 2018 in a thicket near a small town in western Kenya, days after she was abducted alongside journalist Barack Oduor.
Obado, who was governor of Migori County when the killing happened, was convicted on Thursday alongside two co-accused for arranging the murder.
The verdict has brought renewed attention to violence against women in Kenya, where campaigners have long raised concerns about rising cases of abuse and killings targeting women.
Court Says Obado Planned the Killing
Delivering the ruling, Judge Cecilia Githua said Obado had “orchestrated a plot to eliminate Otieno.”
The judge said the former governor provided the motive, encouraged the crime and supplied funds to support the operation.
Obado’s former personal assistant, Michael Oyamo, was found to have helped carry out the killing, while former county clerk Caspal Obiero was accused of providing logistical support and helping conceal evidence.
The three men remain in custody while awaiting sentencing.
Family Welcomes Conviction
The family of Sharon Otieno welcomed the court’s decision, saying justice had finally been served.
A lawyer representing the family said they were pleased with the conviction after years of waiting for the case to conclude.
Otieno’s death shocked Kenya in 2018 after details emerged about her relationship with the then-governor.
A journalist from Nation Media Group, Barack Oduor, revealed that Otieno had contacted him about her affair with Obado before they were both kidnapped.
Oduor escaped from the vehicle, but Otieno was later found dead.
Investigation Revealed Key Evidence
Investigators traced the vehicle used during the abduction and discovered that its tracking device had been switched off on the day of the incident before being reactivated the following day.
Authorities said this was a deliberate attempt to hide the movement of the vehicle.
The investigation found that Obado and Otieno had been in an intimate relationship, which resulted in a pregnancy that prosecutors said the former governor was unhappy about.
Prosecutors relied heavily on circumstantial evidence and called 42 witnesses during the trial to prove that Obado and his co-accused worked together to arrange the killing.
Obado Maintained His Innocence
Obado previously denied involvement in Otieno’s murder, saying he had nothing to do with her death.
His lawyer argued that although the relationship between Obado and Otieno was known publicly, there was no evidence of wrongdoing.
However, the court rejected that defence and found the prosecution had provided enough evidence to support the charges.
The case has become one of Kenya’s most closely watched murder trials and has renewed calls for stronger action against violence targeting women across the country.
