Former Kenyan Gov Found Guilty of Murdering Pregnant Student Who Was His Lover

Ololade Adeyanju/

A Kenyan court has found former Migori Governor, Okoth Obado, guilty of murdering a 26-year-old university student with whom he was having an affair, bringing to a close one of the country’s most shocking and closely watched criminal trials that has gripped the nation for nearly eight years.

The verdict, delivered by the High Court in Nairobi on Thursday, marks the dramatic fall of a politician who once occupied one of Kenya’s most powerful elective offices.

As governor of Migori County, Obado was responsible for overseeing one of the country’s 47 devolved county governments, controlling substantial public resources and wielding significant political influence.

Justice Cecilia Githua convicted Obado alongside his former personal assistant, Michael Oyamo, and former Migori County official, Caspal Obiero after ruling that prosecutors had proved beyond reasonable doubt that they were responsible for the murder of Sharon Otieno.

“It is therefore my finding that the prosecution has proved its case against the first, second and third accused persons beyond reasonable doubt,” the judge ruled before finding all three guilty of murder.

Otieno, a student at Rongo University, disappeared on September 3, 2018 after being abducted. Her body was discovered the following day in a thicket near Kodera Forest in Homa Bay County.

She had been heavily pregnant at the time, and her brutal killing sent shockwaves across Kenya, triggering widespread public outrage over violence against women and allegations of abuse of political power.

During the lengthy trial, prosecutors argued that Obado orchestrated the killing to prevent their affair from becoming public and because of concerns surrounding the pregnancy.

The court found that he provided the motive, instigated the plot and financed the operation that led to Otieno’s death, while his co-accused played key roles in carrying out and concealing the crime.

Justice Githua said the chain of circumstantial evidence presented by the prosecution was so complete that it left no reasonable doubt about the guilt of the three accused.

Following the conviction, the court revoked Obado’s bond, meaning he will remain in custody as he awaits sentencing.

Under Kenyan law, those convicted of murder face penalties ranging from lengthy prison terms to life imprisonment, while the death penalty also remains available in law, although Kenya has observed a long-standing moratorium on executions.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions welcomed the judgment, describing it as a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice and expressing hope that the court would impose a sentence reflecting the gravity of the offence.

The conviction brings to an end one of Kenya’s most high-profile murder trials, a case that dominated national headlines because it involved a sitting county governor, allegations of an extramarital affair and the killing of a young expectant mother whose death became a powerful symbol in public debates about justice, gender-based violence and political accountability.