By Dawan Africa - Admin
Kenya, September 16, 2026 - Sharon Otieno’s parents have asked the High Court to give former Migori Governor Okoth Obado a non-custodial sentence, saying they support reconciliation between the two families.
The request came during the sentencing hearing for Obado and his two co-accused, Michael Oyamo and Caspal Ajwang Obiero. The three men were convicted over Sharon’s murder and the death of her unborn child.
Sharon’s mother, Melinda Auma, told the court that a death sentence or life imprisonment for Obado would feel like losing another member of the family.
Auma said Obado reached out to the family and apologised after his conviction. She asked the court to consider that gesture as it decided his punishment.
Sharon’s father, Douglas Otieno, also told the court that he would accept a non-custodial sentence for Obado. However, he said he did not want the same consideration for Oyamo and Obiero.
“If the court gives Obado a non-custodial sentence, I am okay with that. But I am too bitter being in this court today and seeing Oyamo and Caspal Ajwang Obiero,” Otieno told the court.
He said Oyamo and Obiero were the last people to meet Sharon before her death. He also accused the two men of showing no remorse.
“Oyamo and Caspal are the people who met my daughter last. They are not remorseful,” he said.
The family’s position has created a clear difference between the three convicted men. Sharon’s parents have separated Obado from the other two because they believe the roles each man played before her death were different.
The prosecution, however, urged the court to consider the seriousness of the offence and the role of each convicted person. The State said the case involved the planned killing of Sharon and her unborn child.
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Obado, who is 64, asked the court for a lenient sentence. His lawyers referred to his age, health and the long period the case had taken.
His pre-sentence report also stated that he continued to deny taking part in Sharon’s murder. The report said Obado blamed political pressure and attempts to damage his reputation.
Oyamo expressed regret after his conviction and said he had shown misplaced loyalty to Obado. Obiero denied taking part in the murder but expressed regret over the pain suffered by Sharon’s family.
The hearing was briefly adjourned after Sharon’s family asked for a Dholuo interpreter before making its verbal submissions. The court later continued with the sentencing proceedings.
The court must now weigh the family’s request against the seriousness of the crime and the prosecution’s submissions. Justice Cecilia Githua will then decide the sentence for Obado, Oyamo and Obiero.
The court had not delivered the final sentences at the time of writing.
The hearing has shown that justice means different things to the people affected by the case. For Sharon’s parents, it includes accountability, but it also includes forgiveness and an attempt to prevent the case from creating another permanent division between the two families.