The High Court in Nairobi has set November 27, 2026, for the sentencing of former Migori Governor Okoth Obado, his former personal assistant Michael Juma Oyamo and former Migori County Clerk Casper Ojwang Obiero following their conviction for the murder of Sharon Belyne Otieno.
Justice Cecilia Githua convicted the three on July 23, 2026, after finding that the prosecution had proved the murder case against them beyond reasonable doubt.
Sharon, a 26-year-old Rongo University student and mother, was abducted on September 3, 2018, while she was 28 weeks pregnant.
Her body, together with that of her unborn child, was discovered the following day in a thicket near Kodera Forest in Homa Bay County.
The court found that Obado, Oyamo and Obiero acted in concert with other people who were not before the court.
Justice Githua held that Obado provided the motive, instigation and funds for the operation, Oyamo facilitated its execution, while Obiero provided logistical support and helped conceal the crime.
The prosecution relied on witness testimony and electronic evidence, including mobile phone records, SMS messages and WhatsApp conversations, in a trial that lasted nearly eight years.
The three convicts are now awaiting the court’s determination on the appropriate sentences.
During Wednesday’s mitigation proceedings, Sharon’s parents asked the court to consider leniency for Obado, with her mother saying the family had forgiven him.
The prosecution, however, urged the court to impose sentences that reflect the gravity of the offence.
The Court has now scheduled November 27, 2026, for the sentencing ruling.
