Journalists were asked to switch off their recording devices during the murder trial against Migori Governor Okoth Obado alongside personal assistant, Michael Oyamo, and the Migori county clerk, Caspal Obiero.
On Monday, July 12, the court agreed to lock out the media from the airing of graphic images of Sharon Otieno's murder trial as government pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor gave his testimony.
The prosecutor, SADPP Catherine Mwaniki told the court that the press had been warned against circulating images of the baby and even Sharon Otieno as the court prepared to view the pictures termed as gory.
But the lawyers defending the accused persons put up an objection to the prosecutor's argument stating the scene of crime officer should be able to explain the images.
Sharon's family lawyer was also in agreement with the ODPP stating that the media will not distribute the images shown.
However, the judge ordered the media to go off air to protect the images from getting out.
Dr Oduor, who was the first witness to testify before the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi, stated that Sharon's body was pale which showed a significant loss of blood.
He further told the court that the foetus had a stab wound from the side of a person's body between the ribs and the hip that exited through the upper part of the umbilical cord.
"The intestines were hanging out from the flank wound, other organs were normal,” Oduor stated.
He confirmed that the cause of Sharon's death was severe haemorrhage, trauma and manual strangulation.
In their opening statement, the State led by Mwaniki stated that the prosecution is prepared and ready to prove beyond reasonable doubt through the testimony of 35 witnesses that accused committed the offences they are charged with.
Obado had tried to have the trial moved but the DPP 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.
