Obado, two co-accused remanded for 21 days pending sentencing after murder conviction in Sharon Otieno case

Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado, his former personal assistant Michael Juma Oyamo and former Migori County Clerk Casper Ojwang Obiero will remain in custody at Industrial Area Remand Prison for 21 days after the High Court ordered the preparation of pre-sentence reports.

This follows their conviction for the 2018 murder of university student Sharon Otieno.

High Court Judge Cecilia Githua on Thursday cancelled the bond terms previously granted to the three convicts and directed that they be remanded at the Industrial Area Remand Prison pending mitigation and sentencing.

The court ordered probation officers to prepare pre-sentence reports within 21 days to guide the sentencing process.

Justice Githua found that the prosecution had proved the charge of murder against the three accused beyond reasonable doubt after hearing testimony from 52 witnesses.

The judge held that Sharon's death was not disputed by any of the accused and relied on the post-mortem report by the Government Pathologist, which established that she died from severe haemorrhage caused by multiple stab wounds.

The court found that Obado admitted having an intimate relationship with Sharon, then a second-year student at Rongo University, and that the relationship resulted in her pregnancy. Justice Githua ruled that the pregnancy became the foundation of the events that culminated in Sharon's murder.

According to the judgment, Obado pressured Sharon to terminate the pregnancy and sent her KSh30,000 for an abortion before later withdrawing financial support and distancing himself from her. The judge rejected his claim that he had intended to support Sharon and the unborn child, describing the assertion as inconsistent with the evidence.

Justice Githua further found that Obado concealed his involvement by using Oyamo as an intermediary in dealings with Sharon, while fraudulent SIM card registration and the use of proxies to transfer money were deliberate attempts to conceal the identities of those involved.

The court also found that the September 3, 2018 meeting at Graca Hotel in Homa Bay County was a planned operation to hand Sharon over to her killers rather than a genuine attempt to relay a message from Obado.

Justice Githua held that the three convicts acted with a common intention alongside other individuals who were not before the court, finding that Obado financed the operation while Obiero facilitated the logistics that led to Sharon's murder.