Police accuse county employee of hiring car used by university student Sharon Otieno’s killers

Sharon Otieno’s parents Melida Auma and Douglas Otieno at her funeral in Magare village in Homa Bay on 19 October 2018. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

Migori Governor Okoth Obado resumed duty, as court allowed police to detain another suspect over the murder of university student Sharon Otieno.

Obado, who is facing murder charges, had spent 34 days in custody before a Nairobi court released him on bail on Friday.

He arrived at his office at 8am, met county staff and the public before proceeding to a meeting.

Meanwhile, a Kiambu court has allowed police to detain Grado Kithine Ochollah, an employee of Migori County government, for 10 days as police conclude investigations.

Hired car

Ochollah, who was arrested in Migori town on Friday before being transferred to Nairobi yesterday, is accused of hiring the car used by Sharon’s killers. 

He appeared before Kiambu Chief Magistrate Patricia Gichohi, where detectives applied to hold him for 14 days.

Sharon was Mr Obado’s girlfriend. She was seven months pregnant when she was murdered. Her killers abandoned her body in a forest in Homa Bay County on September 4.

Investigating officer Clement Mwangi told the court they needed 14 days to complete investigations.

Mr Mwangi told court the suspect had been adversely mentioned by some witnesses as being the one who hired the car that was used to ferry abductors from Migori to Rongo’s Graca Hotel, where they kidnapped Sharon and Nation journalist Barrack Odour on September 3.

Mr Oduor said he escaped by jumping out of the moving vehicle at Nyangweso market on the Homa Bay-Kisumu road.

“Preliminary investigations have linked the respondent to the murder of the student, whose body was found dumped at Owade Bridge in Oyugis within Homa Bay County,” Mwangi said.

He said they had information that more people who were involved in the murder were yet to be arrested.

Mwangi urged the court not to free the suspect. “The suspect is connected to other suspects who are yet to be arrested. Thus, there is a likelihood he will interfere with investigations if released. Justice for the victims and their families cannot be attained when the suspect is free,” he said.

Ochollah’s lawyer Naomi Mang’eli opposed the DCI’s application to have her client detained saying it would amount to infringing on his right to freedom.

Ms Mang’eli argued that nothing prevented the police from investigating the matter even when her client was free.

“Whenever required by the police for interrogation, he will be available,” Mang’eli told the court.

Prosecution counsel Thomas Maatwa supported the DCI’s application, saying: “The right to liberty is not absolute and can be interfered with if good reasons are given. There are other suspects who are yet to be arrested and therefore we are opposed to him being released at this time.”

Resumed work

Yesterday, even though the Migori governor did not address the Press, County Director of Communications Nicholas Anyuor confirmed that he had resumed work.

“The governor has just held a cabinet meeting to discuss development and service delivery,” said Mr Anyuor.

He said all activities had been going on uninterrupted despite the governor’s absence, and that the county headquarters was a beehive of activity yesterday because many residents wanted to see the governor.

Obado, his personal assistant Michael Oyamo and aide Caspal Obiero have been charged over Sharon’s murder and denied the charges.