Nearly eight years after the killing of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno stunned the country, the High Court has found former Migori Governor Okoth Obado and his two co-accused guilty of her murder, bringing one of Kenya’s most high-profile criminal cases to a close.
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Cecilia Githua convicted Obado, his former personal assistant Michael Oyamo and former Migori County clerk Caspal Obiero after finding that the prosecution had proved the murder charge against all three beyond reasonable doubt.
The ruling followed years of court proceedings, during which prosecutors presented evidence to show that the three men worked together in planning and carrying out the killing.
Justice Githua said the evidence placed before the court established that each of the accused had a different role in the murder, but their actions formed part of one coordinated plan.
“The evidence before this court established that the accused persons acted in concert, with each playing a distinct role in the commission of the offence,” the judge said.
According to the court, Obado financed the murder, while Oyamo was involved in coordinating and executing the plan. Obiero, the court found, played a role in helping conceal the crime after Sharon had been killed.
The judge ruled that their conduct showed they shared a common intention to commit the offence and that the prosecution had proved the existence of malice aforethought, a key requirement in a murder case.
The court also rejected Obado’s defence that he could not have been responsible because he was in Nairobi on the day Sharon was murdered.
Justice Githua said being away from the scene of the crime did not free him from criminal responsibility because the evidence presented in court showed he was involved in planning and facilitating the killing.
“The fact that the first accused was not in Migori County on the day of the murder does not shield him from criminal liability,” the judge ruled.
She added that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence linking all three accused to Sharon’s death and had successfully proved every element of the offence of murder beyond reasonable doubt.
Sharon murder
Sharon was killed in September 2018 after she was abducted while travelling with Nation Media Group journalist Barrack Oduor. The journalist survived after escaping from the attackers, but Sharon was driven away. Her body was later discovered in a forest in Homa Bay County. She had been stabbed several times and was heavily pregnant at the time of her death.
The murder sparked outrage across Kenya and drew widespread public attention because of claims that Obado had been in a relationship with Sharon and had fathered her unborn child. Those allegations became a major part of public discussion during the investigation and trial, although the case before the court focused on the evidence surrounding her murder.
Throughout the proceedings, Obado denied any involvement in the killing and maintained that he had been wrongly accused. Oyamo and Obiero also pleaded not guilty and denied participating in the crime.
The trial lasted several years, with prosecutors calling dozens of witnesses, including investigators, forensic experts and civilian witnesses. The court also examined phone records, forensic findings and other documentary evidence before both the prosecution and defence closed their cases.
After reviewing all the evidence, Justice Githua concluded that the prosecution had built a strong case against the three accused and that there was no reasonable doubt about their involvement in Sharon’s murder.
The conviction marks a major milestone in a case that has remained in the public spotlight for years and is widely regarded as one of Kenya’s most significant murder trials involving a senior political figure. The three convicted men will now await sentencing, where the court will determine the punishment to be imposed following their conviction.
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