Obado moved to KNH general ward for treatment

Migori County Governor Okoth Obado(left) and Casper Obiero a co-suspect in Sharon Otieno murder in the dock at a Milimani court on 27/9/18-[Photo: Beverlyne Musili,Standard]

Migori Governor Okoth Obado has been moved from the private wing of Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) to the general ward.

Mr Obado was taken to KNH on Wednesday after falling ill while in Industrial Area Remand Prison.

The governor is being held in connection with the murder of university student Sharon Otieno.

Details of what was ailing him remained scanty yesterday but his lawyer said that he was “genuinely” sick and doctors had put him on a treatment plan.

“I have seen him, he is sick genuinely but he is in the best hands,” said lawyer Evans Ondieki.

“I have spoken to the professor in charge of his treatment the only role we can play is to pray for him,” he said.

Ondieki refused to disclose what doctors had exactly diagnosed.

“He is a patient, because of medical principles and because I am not a medical doctor there are things I cannot venture into,” he said.

He dismissed as “blatant lies” that the Governor was receiving special treatment adding that he was “using materials from KNH” like other patients.

“The governor is in a normal ward with other members of the public,” he said.

Those familiar with the matter cited "public pressure" as one of the reasons that he had been moved to the general ward.

However, a visit to the ward by The Standard was not able to locate him among other patients.

The ward he was in normally is for patients with broken bones.

Members of the governor's family were able to visit him with Ondieki  saying that they had the permission from  prison authorities.

“Prisons have rules and regulation. We went to industrial area we received authority to come and see him with the wife and saw him,” he said.

A High Court judge on September 27 rejected Obado’s application to be released on bond and handed him 11 days in remand until witness statements and other evidence were provided for the case on October 8.