Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado will be sentenced on September 16, 2026, following his conviction in the 2018 murder of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno.
The case began in September 2018, when Sharon, who was seven months pregnant, was abducted from Rongo town and later found dead near Kodera Forest in Homa Bay County.
Investigations revealed that Sharon had been in a relationship with Obado, and her pregnancy was directly linked to him.
Prosecutors argued that Obado sought to silence Sharon after she refused to terminate the pregnancy, making him the central figure and mastermind in the crime.
On July 23, 2026, Justice Cecilia Githua ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, convicting Obado alongside his former aide Michael Oyamo and ex‑county clerk Caspal Obiero.
Oyamo was accused of luring Sharon into the trap, while Obiero was linked to coordinating the abduction. The court found that both acted under Obado’s instructions, reinforcing his role as the key actor.
Legal experts note that Obado and his co‑accused face the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty, depending on the court’s final determination.
The sentencing is expected to deliver closure to one of Kenya’s most closely followed murder trials, which has gripped the nation for eight years.
