Former Governor Okoth Obado & 2 co-accused found guilty of Sharon Otieno's murder

Former Migori Governor Zacharia Okoth Obado has been convicted of the murder of university student Sharon Otieno, bringing to a close one of Kenya's most closely watched criminal trials.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, July 23, High Court Judge Lady Justice Cecilia Githua ruled that the prosecution had successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The court also found Obado's former personal assistant and the former Migori County clerk guilty over Sharon's killing.

Justice Githua held that the evidence presented during the trial established that the three acted together in the commission of the offence.

In her ruling, Justice Githua said the prosecution had presented a complete and convincing chain of circumstantial evidence linking the accused to the murder.

She found that, when considered as a whole, the evidence left no reasonable doubt that the three, together with other individuals who were not charged in the case, were responsible for Sharon's death.

Following the conviction, the High Court cancelled Obado's bond, meaning he will remain in custody as the court awaits the next stage of the proceedings, including sentencing.

The court is expected to issue further directions on the matter.

Sharon, then a student at Rongo University, disappeared on the night of September 3, 2018, after leaving a hotel in Rongo with Nation Media Group journalist Barrack Oduor.

The pair had reportedly gone to meet individuals they believed would help resolve issues surrounding Sharon's pregnancy.

According to evidence presented in court, their vehicle was intercepted by another car before armed men allegedly abducted Sharon.

Two days later, Sharon's body was discovered in a forest near Kodera in Homa Bay County. A postmortem examination found that she had suffered multiple stab wounds and signs of strangulation.

She was about seven months pregnant at the time of her death. Prosecutors have maintained that DNA tests showed a 99.9 per cent probability that Obado was the father of the unborn child, a fact the former governor did not dispute during the trial.

The case quickly attracted national attention because of the alleged relationship between Sharon and the then-serving governor, as well as claims that she had been lured to what she believed was a meeting before being abducted and killed.

Over the years, the prosecution called dozens of witnesses, including police investigators, forensic experts, telecommunications specialists and civilian witnesses, in an effort to build what it described as a chain of circumstantial evidence linking the three accused persons to the killing.

The prosecution argued that the accused acted together with a common intention to eliminate Sharon in order to avoid political and personal consequences arising from the pregnancy.

The defence, however, consistently maintained that there was no direct evidence placing any of the accused at the murder scene.

Obado admitted having had an intimate relationship with Sharon but denied any involvement in her death, arguing that the prosecution's case was based on suspicion rather than proof beyond reasonable doubt. Oyamo and Obiero also denied participating in the alleged murder.

In January 2025, Justice Cecilia Githua ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case, requiring Obado and his two co-accused to defend themselves against the charge of murdering Sharon.

However, the court acquitted them on a separate count relating to the death of Sharon's unborn baby at the no-case-to-answer stage.