Sharon Otieno Murder Case: Three Convicted; Sentencing Set for November 27
Update — 9 October 2026: The High Court convicted former Migori Governor Zacharia Okoth Obado, his former personal assistant Michael Juma Oyamo, and former Migori County Clerk Caspal Ojwang Obiero of Sharon Otieno’s murder on 23 July 2026. Sentencing is scheduled for 27 November 2026. The case remains before the court for that sentencing decision.
What the court decided
In Republic v Obado & 2 others, Criminal Case 46 of 2018, Justice Cecilia Githua found the prosecution had proved the murder of Sharon Belyne Otieno beyond reasonable doubt. The judge convicted the three accused on the count concerning Sharon’s death. The court acquitted them on the separate count concerning the death of the unborn child, finding that the prosecution had not established that count under the applicable law.
Read the judgment text. For contemporaneous coverage, see The Star and The Standard.
When is sentencing?
After mitigation hearings in September, the High Court set 27 November 2026 for sentencing. The convictions are the court’s decision on guilt; the sentence has not yet been delivered. The Star reported the new date.
Background to the case
Sharon Otieno, a Rongo University student, was found dead in Homa Bay County in September 2018. The prosecution charged Obado, Oyamo, and Obiero in connection with her killing. All three denied the murder charge. The trial lasted several years and included testimony and documentary evidence; the court assessed that evidence before reaching its verdict.
This article reports the judgment and current sentencing date. It does not predict the sentence. We will update the page if the court changes the date or delivers its decision.
