Former Migori Governor Zacharia Okoth Obado has been found guilty of the murder of university student Sharon Otieno.
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, July 23, 2026, the court also convicted Obado’s former personal assistant and former Migori County clerk over Sharon’s killing.
The court ruled that the prosecution had established a complete chain of circumstantial evidence linking the three accused persons to the murder.
Additionally, the court held that the evidence presented during the trial irresistibly pointed to the guilt of the three accused.
Okoth Obado found guilty of Sharon Atieno’s murder
In the ruling, the judge revealed the roles each of the three convicts played during the crime, finding that they acted in unison to execute and cover up the murder of Sharon.
According to her, Obado supplied motive, instigation and funds to finance Sharon’s murder while the second accused facilitated execution.
The third accused ensured logistical support and concealment to avoid detection of the offence.
The court declined to release Obado and the duo on bond pending sentencing, with the judge ordering that the three remain in custody for 21 days as they await further directions from the court on mitigation and sentencing.
According to reports, the postmortem conducted by Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor established that she died from strangulation and excessive bleeding caused by multiple stab wounds.
The killing sparked nationwide outrage and prompted a multi-agency investigation that quickly turned its focus to senior officials in the Migori County government.
