A Kenyan court has found former Migori county governor Okoth Obado guilty of orchestrating the murder of Sharon Otieno, a 26-year-old pregnant university student. The conviction was delivered on Thursday by Judge Cecilia Githua, who stated that Obado “orchestrated a plot to eliminate Otieno” by supplying motive, instigation, and financial resources for the criminal enterprise.
Two co-defendants were also convicted in connection with the case. Michael Oyamo, Obado’s former personal assistant, was found guilty of facilitating the execution of the crime, while Caspal Obiero, a former county clerk, provided logistical support and worked to conceal the offense. All three remain in custody pending sentencing proceedings.
Otieno’s body was discovered in 2018 in a thicket outside a small town in western Kenya, bearing evidence of stabbing wounds to the neck, abdomen, and back. A journalist from the Nation Media Group played a pivotal role in the investigation after witnessing the abduction alongside Otieno and subsequently escaping from the vehicle. His account provided crucial leads that helped police identify and trace the vehicle used in the abduction, whose tracking device had been deliberately deactivated on the day of the incident.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence of an intimate relationship between Obado and Otieno that resulted in a pregnancy the governor opposed. The prosecution called 42 witnesses and relied on circumstantial evidence to establish that the three defendants had conspired together to carry out the killing. A representative for Otieno’s family expressed satisfaction with the conviction, stating that justice had finally been served. The case drew significant public attention and sparked protests, contributing to broader discussions about violence against women in Kenya.
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