Former Migori governor Zachary Obado, in a meeting with a journalist and Sharon’s mutual friend, Mr. Lawrence Oware, at his home informed them that Sharon’s expectations were unrealistic as she was demanding a vehicle, a house in Nairobi and a big job.
Sharon Otieno, a second-year university student at the time of her death was in an intimate relationship with the former Migori Governor Zachary Obado was killed in 2018 being seven months pregnant.
In a judgment delivered after eight years, the court found Obado and his co-accused guilty of the 2018 murder of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno.
The High Court established that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The judgment was delivered on 23rd July 2026 by Lady Justice Cecilia Githua. She found Obado and his two co-accused, former Personal Assistant Michael Oyamo and former Migori County Clerk Caspal Obiero guilty of Sharon’s murder.
“It is, therefore, my finding that the prosecution has proved its case against the first, the second, and the third accused persons beyond reasonable doubt.
I, consequently, find each accused person guilty of the offense of murder contrary to Section 203 of the Penal Code, as charged in Count 1. Each accused is accordingly convicted under Section 322 of the Criminal Procedure,” she stated.
The case came to light in 2018 after Sharon Otieno’s body was found dumped in the forest.
It has since been ongoing, with a total of 42 witnesses including Sharon’s mother, Melinda Auma; the mutual friend, Mr. Lawrence Oware; and a journalist testifying.
According to Sharon’s mother’s testimony, in 2017, she was living together with Sharon and her three children in her home.
In February or March of that year, she realized Sharon was pregnant and appeared unhappy.Upon inquiry, Sharon confided in her that Obado was responsible for her pregnancy. She also mentioned that he had become evasive not picking her calls and withdrawing financial support.
She further recalled that between March and May 2017, Sharon told her she had met with Obado in Nairobi. He had told her that he was not ready for the pregnancy and urged her to terminate it.
He gave her 30,000 shillings to do so and instructed her to deal with Michael Oyamo, his personal assistant, for matters related to the pregnancy.On her mother’s advice, Sharon decided to keep the pregnancy.
At that point, Sharon decided she wanted this matter to go public and sought out Mr. Lawrence Oware.In his testimony, Oware stated that on 20th July 2017, he was at a hotel in Homa Bay Town when Sharon approached him seeking financial assistance.
He promised to give her 400 shillings the following day. The next day, they met again at the same hotel.
As they had tea, Sharon requested him to recommend a journalist who could help publish her plight in the mainstream media to compel Obado to give her the attention she felt she deserved.
On 25th July, Lawrence Oware organized a meeting between Sharon and a journalist at a Homa Bay hotel.
The journalist who testified as a protected witness. AccordingSharon shared personal details and confided that she was in an intimate relationship with the first accused.
She explained that he had abandoned her after impregnating her, and that she was seven months pregnant and facing financial hardship. She wanted the journalist’s help to publish her story, hoping it would prompt Obado to reach out.
The journalist recalled taking photographs of the deceased and screenshots of WhatsApp conversations between her and Obado. Sharon also played two audio recordings of her conversations with him.
In the first, Obado pleaded with her to stop posting photos of hotels they had visited, especially on Facebook, while in the second, he urged her to abort the pregnancy.
A few days later, the journalist reached out to Obado through a mutual friend to hear his side before acting on Sharon’s request. Obado then called him, and during their conversation, invited him and Oware to his home.
They both accepted and visited his home that same evening. After sharing a meal, they discussed Sharon’s case.
During the meeting, Obado admitted knowledge of Sharon’s pregnancy but complained that her expectations of him were unrealistic demanding a vehicle, a house in Nairobi and a big job.
