By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Kenya, 23 July 2026 - Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado and his two co-accused have been found guilty of murdering Rongo University student Sharon Otieno, bringing to a close one of Kenya's most closely watched criminal trials after nearly eight years.
Delivering the judgment at the Milimani High Court on Thursday, Justice Cecilia Githua ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, convicting Obado, his former personal assistant Michael Oyamo, and former Migori County Clerk Caspal Obiero of Sharon's murder.
The judge found that the evidence presented during the trial sufficiently linked the three men to the killing.
The case dates back to September 2018, when Sharon, then 26 and about seven months pregnant, was abducted alongside Nation Media Group journalist Barrack Oduor after leaving a hotel in Rongo.
Oduor escaped by jumping from the moving vehicle, but Sharon's body was discovered a day later in a thicket near Kodera Forest in Homa Bay County.
A post-mortem conducted by Chief Government Pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor established that Sharon died from multiple stab wounds and excessive bleeding, injuries that shocked the nation and sparked widespread calls for justice.
The investigation that followed led to the arrest of Obado and his co-accused, who denied the charges throughout the trial.
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During the proceedings, prosecutors presented 42 witnesses and dozens of exhibits, including phone records, forensic evidence and witness testimonies, arguing that the evidence established a coordinated plan leading to Sharon's death.
The conviction marks the conclusion of one of Kenya's most high-profile murder cases, a trial that reignited national conversations on violence against women, abuse of power and accountability.
The court is expected to determine the appropriate sentence for the three convicts in accordance with the law.
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