Migori governor Okoth Obado asked the court to postpone his case in the murder of University student Sharon Otieno who was pregnant at the time of her death.
Obado's lawyer Kioko Kilumi and Senior Counsel Tom Ojienda, representing co-accused Michael Juma Oyamo asked the court to move the trial on Monday, June 5, citing the Covid-19 pandemic.
The two lawyers asked for the court to adjourn the matter until the directives barring the movement of people in 13 counties are eased.
Obado's lawyer wanted the court to postpone the case for a month claiming the move will protect the parties in the matter from contracting Covid-19.
However, Sharon Otieno's family lawyer Daniel Njoroge and the prosecution vehemently opposed the adjournment stating that the matter has not commenced nearly 3 years after the murder of the university student and her unborn child.
The prosecution had planned 42 witnesses to testify in the trial of the Migori Governor and two others who have been charged with the murder of Sharon Otieno and her unborn baby.
The trial was set to begin on December 2, 2020, but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year the prosecution stated that some of its key witnesses were under protection.
According to the Daily Nation, before the trial kicks off, the parties will have to debate on whether the lawyers representing the victims’ families should cross-examine witnesses.
Obado, his assistant Michael Oyamo, 40, and Caspal Obiero, a clerk in Migori County, already denied murdering the 26-year-old Rongo University student and her unborn baby on the night of September 3 and 4, 2018, at Owade in Rachuonyo Sub-county, Homa Bay County.
Obado was released after paying a bail of Ksh5 million and posting two sureties of Ksh5 million each.
The other two had earlier been denied bail by Justice Lessit, who had ruled that releasing them was likely to disturb public order and peace.
Obiero and Oyamo appealed against the decision and were granted a cash bail of Ksh1 million each or an alternative bond of Ksh2 million by the Court of Appeal.
Justices Mohamed Warsame, Daniel Musinga and Otieno Odek, while releasing the two, noted that the governor held more political power and influence compared to the duo.
