The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
In a dramatic turn during Wednesday’s sentencing proceedings, Douglas Zachariah Otieno, the father of murdered university student Sharon Otieno, told the High Court that he has forgiven former Migori Governor Okoth Obado and would not oppose a non-custodial sentence for him.
Addressing Justice Cecilia Githua, Mr. Otieno explained that his decision was influenced by the former governor’s genuine remorse and efforts to seek reconciliation through family intermediaries.
“He sent his relatives to my home for a reconciliation. That is why I have come down to this end to talk to him. If the court agrees for non-custodial, that will be okay with me because he is remorseful,” Mr. Otieno stated, noting he chose to break a nine-year silence given the gravity of the court proceedings.
Different Stance on Co-Convicts
While extending grace to the former governor, Mr. Otieno drew a hard line against Obado’s two co-convicts, Michael Juma Oyamo and Caspal Ojwang Obiero. He maintained an unwavering stance for severe punishment, noting that neither man had made any reconciliation overtures.
“I am too bitter today seeing Oyamo and Caspal, since they were last seen with my daughter until she was killed,” he told the court, emphasizing their proximity to Sharon prior to her tragic death.
A Long-Awaited Judgment
The sentencing hearing follows a landmark ruling on July 23, 2026, where Justice Githua found Obado, Oyamo, and Obiero guilty of murder after the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Sharon Otieno, a 26-year-old second-year medical records student at Rongo University, was seven months pregnant when she was brutally murdered in September 2018. Her body was discovered in a thicket near Kodera Forest in Homa Bay County. She had been abducted alongside Nation Media Group journalist Barrack Oduor, who narrowly escaped death by leaping from a moving vehicle.
The court continues to weigh victim impact statements detailing the profound emotional and financial toll endured by the family alongside final submissions from both the prosecution and defense before handing down its final sentences.
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