Guilty as charged: Obado co-accused convicted in Sharon Otieno murder

Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado at Milimani High Court for his judgment over the alleged murder of his former lover Sharon Otieno. [Nancy Gitonga, Standard]

Former Migori Governor Zachariah Okoth Obado has been convicted of the 2018 murder of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno after the Milimani High Court found that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

In a landmark judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Cecilia Githua found Obado and his two co-accused, former Personal Assistant Michael Oyamo and former Migori County Clerk Caspal Obiero, guilty of Sharon's murder.

The judge held that Sharon's death was unlawful and that the prosecution had established all the legal ingredients required to prove the offence of murder.

Justice Githua found that Sharon, who was seven months pregnant at the time of her death, died from multiple stab wounds and manual strangulation.

"I do not have any hesitation in finding that Sharon's death was unlawful. It was not caused by natural causes and it was not an accident," the judge ruled.

The court found that although none of the 42 prosecution witnesses directly witnessed the killing, the chain of circumstantial evidence irresistibly pointed to the guilt of the accused persons.

Justice Githua held that Obado had a strong motive to eliminate Sharon to prevent their illicit relationship and her pregnancy from becoming public.

"The first accused had a strong motive to ensure that his illicit relationship was not known by the public, thus making him a beneficiary of the death of the deceased," she ruled.

The judge rejected Obado's defence that his affair with Sharon was already known to his family and members of the public.

"It cannot be entirely true that members of the public knew about his relationship with the deceased," Justice Githua observed.

The court heard that Sharon had informed her mother that Obado was responsible for her pregnancy and that the former governor had offered her Sh30,000 to terminate it.

 However, Sharon declined after being advised by her mother to keep the baby.

Evidence further showed that Obado repeatedly pleaded with Sharon to stop posting photographs of places they had visited together and later distanced himself by refusing to take her calls despite initially providing financial support.

The late Sharon Otieno. Autopsy results showed she was stabbed eight times, raped and strangled.

Justice Githua said the support was not genuine, noting that Obado later withdrew emotionally after Sharon insisted on keeping the pregnancy.

The prosecution called 42 witnesses and produced 81 exhibits during the lengthy trial.

Among the key witnesses was a protected journalist who testified that Sharon had sought his help to publicise her story in a bid to compel Obado to acknowledge responsibility for her pregnancy.

The court also relied on evidence from the government pathologist, who testified that Sharon suffered seven deep stab wounds, including one that penetrated her uterus and fatally injured her 28-week-old unborn baby.

The post-mortem further established that she was manually strangled.

Justice Githua also considered evidence showing attempts by the second accused, Michael Oyamo, to create a false alibi using forged medical documents after reporting that he had been abducted.

The court concluded that the prosecution had firmly established the chain of circumstantial evidence linking the three accused to Sharon's killing, leading to their conviction.

 Sentencing is expected after mitigation.