An embattled Governor Obado has been charged with the murder of Sharon Beryl Otieno alongside Michael Ayamo and Caspiel Obiero.
The case trial embarks 33 months after the shocking demise of Sharon and her unborn child, whom the prosecutors named ‘Baby Sharon’. The hearing began at the Milimani Law Courts on Monday, 12 July. The prosecution brought forward 35 witnesses in the trial of the accused trio.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji vehemently opposed the governor’s request to postpone the case. In a letter dated Sunday, June 28, Obado made this attempt citing implications on the health pandemic on inter-county travel. However, his plea was rejected.
Initially, the first hearing was to take place from March 16 to March 17 2020.
Nevertheless, this was not to be as new laws on containment barred physical court hearings. The hearing was then pushed over to occur between July 5 and July 15 2021. It later hit a snag as the prime suspect, Governor Obado, was able to get a week off as the court ruled on new hearing dates. The new dates would be July 12 to July 15.
It was then on July 12 when Obado drafted a letter requesting further postponement of the trial. This resulted in the resentment and stern decline of DPP Haji. Murder cases of Sharon Otieno and 28-week-old ‘Baby Sharon’ would instead proceed as planned with no interference.
The late Sharon was born to farmers Zachary Douglas and Auma Melinda who came from Magare, Homa Bay county. Sharon was murdered along with her unborn child in September 2018. The 26-year-old was a student at Rongo University, studying a course in Medical Records and Information.
Prior to a relationship with Obado, she was married to Bernard Okuta with whom she bore three children.
In 2018, Obado admitted to being in a relationship with her. He however denied any involvement in her death. She disappeared on September 3 after which her corpse was discovered in a thicket close to Oyugis town in Homa Bay county on September 4.
The autopsy report issued then indicated that the victim was stabbed eight times consequently succumbing to excessive bleeding.
Additional evidence by a forensic report during the case on Monday,12 July showed that manual strangulation was a key factor in her death. The unborn child, who was 28-weeks-old(7 months) suffered abdominal trauma due to being stabbed, the report added.
Obado, who announced his bid for the presidency, was also roped into the scope of Kenya's anti-graft agency Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). The agency went after his personal assets and income-seeking to have them forfeited to the government.
