The long-running search for justice for Sharon Otieno reached a turning point on Thursday. Former Migori Governor Zachary Okoth Obado was been found guilty of her murder. Two of his former aides were also convicted alongside him.
High Court Judge Cecilia Githua delivered the landmark ruling. The judgment took nearly four hours to read. The court found that the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Mastermind and his Aides
The court identified the specific roles played by the three convicts. Obado was described as the mastermind and the financier of the plot. Michael Oyamo, his former personal assistant, orchestrated the execution.
Casper Obiero, a former county clerk, provided logistical support and assisted in covering up the crime.
Justice Githua ruled that the men acted together with a common intention. They planned and executed the killing of the 26-year-old student in September 2018. At the time, Sharon Otieno was pregnant.
"The accused persons acted in concert jointly with others not before the court pursuant to a common design, each performing a distinct role in furtherance of a criminal enterprise that resulted in the death of the late Sheron,” she ruled.
The court found a clear motive for the killing. Sharon Otieno was carrying Obado’s child at the time of her death. The judge noted that Obado wanted to keep their illicit affair a secret. He feared that public knowledge of the relationship would cause him reputational harm.
Obado was in Nairobi when the murder took place. However, the judge ruled that his absence from Migori did not clear him. Evidence showed he remained actively involved in the planning and facilitation of the murder.
"The first accused had a very strong motive to unlawfully end Sharon's life to ensure that his illicit affair with her was not widely publicized through the print media in order to save himself from possible public embarrassment and reputational harm."
The Long Road to Justice
This case has lasted eight years. It began in 2018 when Sharon Otieno and a journalist were abducted. While the journalist managed to escape by jumping from a moving vehicle, Sharon’s body was later discovered in a forest in Homa Bay.
She had been stabbed multiple times. This background information is widely reported in public records and online sources.
Following the conviction, the court revoked the bond terms for all three men. They were immediately taken into custody. They will remain there while they await their final sentencing date on August 13.
The fate of the three men will be determined in approximately 21 days. The court has directed that a probation report and a victim impact assessment be filed first. These documents will help the judge decide on the appropriate sentences.
For the family of Sharon Otieno, the conviction marks the end of a painful quest for justice.
