Former Kenyan Governor Okoth Obado Convicted of Sharon Otieno's Murder

A Kenyan court has convicted Okoth Obado, the former governor of Migori County, of the murder of Sharon Otieno, a pregnant university student. Ms. Otieno's body was discovered in a forest in 2018, bearing multiple stab wounds. The High Court in Nairobi found Mr. Obado and his former personal assistant, Michael Oyamo, guilty of the killing after a lengthy trial.

Ms. Otieno, a second-year student at Rongo University, was seven months pregnant at the time of her death. DNA evidence presented during the trial confirmed Mr. Obado as the father of her unborn child. Prosecutors alleged the murder was orchestrated to silence Ms. Otieno about their relationship and her pregnancy.

The case drew considerable national interest, not least due to Mr. Obado's high-profile political position. Both men will now face sentencing, which is expected to be delivered at a later date. This conviction closes a significant chapter in a case that has highlighted the vulnerabilities faced by women in Kenya involved with powerful figures.