Nairobi, Thursday, July 23, 2026 — The Sharon Otieno murder verdict is finally at hand. Sharon’s family is already seated at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi, waiting for a moment they have anticipated for nearly eight years. The High Court is due to determine, once and for all, whether former Migori Governor Okoth Obado, his co-accused Michael Oyamo, and Caspal Obiero are guilty of murdering Sharon in September 2018.
Lady Justice Cecilia Githua is expected to deliver judgment today in Republic v Okoth Obado & 2 Others — one of the longest and most closely watched criminal trials in Kenya’s recent history. For Sharon’s family, who have sat through years of hearings, postponements, and testimony, today marks the moment they finally get an answer.
The Case in Brief
Sharon Otieno was a 26-year-old Rongo University student who was 28 weeks pregnant when she was abducted on September 3, 2018. Her body was discovered the following day in a thicket near Kodera Forest in Homa Bay County. A post-mortem found she had been stabbed multiple times in the neck, abdomen, and back, with evidence suggesting a possible sexual assault before death.
On the night she disappeared, Sharon and journalist Barrack Oduor had attended a meeting in Rongo town after being invited by Michael Oyamo, then personal assistant to Migori Governor Okoth Obado. After leaving a hotel, the two were allegedly forced into a waiting vehicle. Oduor managed to jump from the moving car near Nyangweso Market and raised the alarm; his account would go on to become one of the prosecution’s central pieces of evidence.
Three men have stood trial for her murder:
- Okoth Obado — former Migori County Governor, who admitted to an affair with Sharon and to being responsible for her pregnancy, but has consistently denied any involvement in her killing.
- Michael Oyamo — Obado’s former personal assistant.
- Caspal Obiero — former Migori County Clerk.
All three have pleaded not guilty and maintained their innocence throughout the proceedings.
Sharon Otieno Murder Verdict: The Road to Judgment
The trial has ground on since 2021, gathering testimony from 42 prosecution witnesses and dozens of exhibits including SMS exchanges, WhatsApp messages, mobile call records, and forensic evidence. Prosecutors have argued that the evidence shows a coordinated plan: that Sharon’s pregnancy had become a political liability for Obado, and that Oyamo and Obiero acted as his operatives in silencing her.
In January 2025, the court found the prosecution had established a prima facie case, formally placing all three accused on their defense for Sharon’s murder, though the same ruling saw them acquitted of a separate charge tied to the death of her unborn child, after the judge found that under Kenyan law, a foetus that had not been born alive could not be a murder victim. (For background on how Kenyan courts have handled similar prima facie rulings, see our explainer on Kenya’s criminal trial process.)
Obado later took the stand in his own defense, admitting the affair but rejecting any link to the killing: “I did not kill Sharon Otieno,” he told the court, arguing that public outrage and suspicion could not substitute for proof beyond reasonable doubt.
The judgment was originally scheduled for May 29, 2026, but the court pushed the date back, with Justice Githua citing the sheer volume of proceedings, exhibits, and submissions still requiring review. Kenyan outlets including The Standard and the Daily Nation have tracked the case closely as it approached this final ruling.
Why the Sharon Otieno Murder Verdict Matters
This case has become about far more than three individuals in a courtroom. Sharon’s murder, and the political shockwaves it sent through Migori County and national politics, turned her into a symbol in Kenya’s broader conversation about gender-based violence, impunity, and accountability for the powerful.
The Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya), which has walked alongside Sharon’s family throughout the trial, reaffirmed its support ahead of today’s ruling, saying it remains hopeful the court will decide the matter strictly on the evidence and the law and has promised a further statement once judgment is delivered.
Right now, Sharon’s family is sitting inside the Milimani Law Courts, waiting to hear whether the eight-year wait for answers ends in convictions or acquittals. The Sharon Otieno murder verdict, whichever way it lands, will close one of Kenya’s most closely watched criminal cases and mark a moment that Kenya, watching closely, will not soon forget.
