Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado and two of his co-accused have been found guilty of the murder of university student Sharon Otieno, in a landmark ruling delivered by the High Court in Nairobi on Thursday, July 23.
Justice Cecilia Githua ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, bringing to a close one of Kenya’s most closely followed criminal trials.
Obado was convicted alongside his former personal assistant Michael Oyamo and Migori County clerk Caspal Obiero, with the court finding that the trio played a role in the abduction and killing of the Rongo University student in 2018.
“The prosecution has successfully established a chain of events that points to the accused persons as responsible for the unlawful killing of the deceased,” Justice Githua ruled in part of her judgment.
The court relied heavily on circumstantial evidence and witness testimony presented over the course of the trial, which featured more than 40 prosecution witnesses.
The judge noted that the evidence placed the accused persons at the centre of the planning and execution of the crime.
Sharon Otieno was abducted on September 3, 2018, alongside a journalist in Homa Bay County. Her body was discovered a day later in a forest, with reports confirming she was pregnant at the time of her death.
The killing triggered national outrage and drew attention to issues of gender-based violence and abuse of power.
During the trial, the prosecution argued that the murder was premeditated, linking it to attempts to silence the victim. The defence, however, maintained that the accused were not involved and challenged the credibility of key witnesses.
In her ruling, Justice Githua dismissed the defence arguments, stating that inconsistencies raised did not weaken the prosecution’s case.
“The totality of the evidence leaves no reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the accused persons,” she said.
The verdict marks a significant moment in Kenya’s justice system, particularly in cases involving powerful individuals facing serious criminal charges.
The court is expected to set a date for sentencing, where the three convicts could face severe penalties, including life imprisonment.
The case has remained in the public spotlight for years, with calls from civil society and the public for accountability in the brutal killing of the young student and her unborn child.