The High Court has found that former Migori Governor Okoth Obado had a strong motive to eliminate Sharon Otieno, ruling that he orchestrated a plot to protect his reputation and prevent details of their relationship from becoming public.
In her judgment, Justice Cecelia Githua rejected Obado’s claim that he had accepted Sharon’s pregnancy and had been supporting her out of genuine concern, describing his defence as inconsistent with the evidence presented during the trial. The judge found that the prosecution had established that Obado had pressured Sharon to terminate her pregnancy and allegedly gave her KSh30,000 for an abortion. However, the court heard that Sharon declined after consulting her mother.
Justice Githua further held that Obado’s conduct after Sharon became pregnant contradicted his claim that he cared for her, noting that he distanced himself from her and failed to respond to her attempts to contact him.
The court agreed with the prosecution that the money Obado later sent Sharon was not a gesture of goodwill but was intended to keep her silent, delay disclosure of their relationship and prevent the affair from becoming public.
Justice Githua observed that it was not a coincidence that Obado renewed contact with Sharon only after she threatened to expose their relationship. The judge concluded that Obado sought to contain the scandal and ultimately orchestrated a plan to eliminate Sharon in order to remove the threat posed by the disclosure of their affair.
The court further found that Obado used his position as Governor of Migori to enlist the assistance of his co-accused, Michael Oyamo and Caspal Obiero, both county employees at the time, to execute the plan.
Justice Githua held that Obado stood to benefit the most from Sharon’s death, finding that the prosecution had established a clear motive linking him to the murder.
