Former Kenyan governor convicted of murdering pregnant student

A Kenyan court has convicted former Migori County governor Okoth Obado of the murder of Sharon Otieno, a university student who was pregnant with his child. Judge Cecilia Githua, reading her ruling, stated that Obado "orchestrated a plot to eliminate Otieno" and "supplied motive, instigation and funds to finance the criminal enterprise."

Obado's former personal assistant Michael Oyamo was found guilty of facilitating the execution, and former county clerk Caspal Obiero was convicted for ensuring logistical support and concealment to avoid detection. All three are in custody awaiting sentencing.

A lawyer for Otieno's family said, "We are happy with the conviction. We believe that justice has at last been served to Sharon."

The murder shocked Kenya. Journalist Barack Oduor of Nation Media Group reported that Otieno had contacted him about her affair with the then-governor. They met and were kidnapped, but Oduor managed to escape from the speeding car. Two days later, Otieno's body was found with evidence of rape and stab wounds to the neck, abdomen, and back.

Oduor's eyewitness account became a crucial lead. Police traced the vehicle used by the abductors; its tracking device had been deactivated on the day of the abduction and reactivated the following day, described by the chief prosecutor as "a well-calculated move by the killers to conceal the movement of the vehicle."

The investigation established an "intimate relationship" between Obado and Otieno, which led to a pregnancy that the governor was unhappy about. In 2018, Obado denied involvement. His lawyer told the BBC that the affair was widely acknowledged and there was no shame or malice. The court rejected this version.

During the trial, the prosecution called 42 witnesses and relied heavily on circumstantial evidence to prove that the former governor and his co-accused worked together to arrange the killing, according to Kenya's Star newspaper.