Tears, reconciliation and rage: Inside courtroom split over Obado’s fate

Jukwaa

📋 Breaking It Down

Former Migori governor Okoth Obado arrived at the High Court in Milimani on Wednesday in a heavily guarded prison van as the judge heard competing pleas over his sentence for Sharon Otieno’s murder.

After almost two months at Kamiti Prison, Obado sat in the dock with his co-convicts, Michael Juma Oyamo and Caspal Ojwang Obiero, appearing composed but worried as three prison wardens stood nearby in the packed courtroom.

The sentencing hearing was marked by an unusual mixture of quiet composure, biblical appeals, courtroom confusion and raw anger as both defence, prosecution and Sharon’s parents delivered sharply different messages to the judge.

📌 What You Need to Know

The three men were convicted by Justice Cecilia Githua on July 23, 2026 , after an eight-year criminal trial over the September 2018 killing of Sharon, a 26-year-old Rongo University student who was seven months pregnant.

The prosecution called 42 witnesses and relied largely on circumstantial evidence, with the court finding an unbroken chain linking the men to the killing.

But Wednesday’s hearing was less about the evidence that secured the convictions than the personal circumstances, family pain and competing requests the judge must consider before sentencing.

Also Read: Sharon Otieno case: How victim impact statement could shape Obado’s sentence

In a courtroom united by grief but divided over punishment, Sharon’s mother pleaded for mercy for Obado while her father struggled to contain his anger towards Oyamo and Obiero, whom he said were the last men to see his daughter.

Obado, seated as the first accused, wore a dark blue suit, a cream shirt and a blue, striped multi-coloured tie. He occasionally scratched his face and bald head while following the proceedings. At intervals, the three accused exchanged brief words, their interactions lasting only moments.

📰 Source: Nation Africa

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