Former Migori Governor Zachary Okoth Obado is back before the High Court in Nairobi today, September 16, 2026, for the mitigation and sentencing stage of the long-running murder case involving Rongo University student Sharon Belyne Otieno. Obado, together with his former personal assistant Michael Juma Oyamo and former Migori County official Caspal Ajwang Obiero, was convicted of Sharon's murder in July 2026 after a trial that lasted nearly eight years. The three men are now expected to make submissions explaining the circumstances they want the court to consider before Justice Cecilia Githua determines the sentences. 

 *The case that shocked Kenya* 

The case dates back to September 2018, when Sharon Otieno, a 26-year-old Rongo University student, was abducted after leaving a hotel in Rongo. She was approximately seven months pregnant at the time. Nation Media Group journalist Barrack Oduor, who had been with Sharon, was also abducted but managed to escape by jumping from the moving vehicle. Sharon's body was later discovered in a thicket near Kodera Forest in Homa Bay County.

The circumstances surrounding her death immediately attracted national attention. The case involved a sitting county governor, allegations surrounding a relationship between Obado and Sharon, her pregnancy and claims of an organized abduction. Prosecutors eventually presented a large body of evidence, including witness testimony, phone records, forensic material and evidence concerning the movements of the accused persons. 

Kenya's High Court records show that Obado, Oyamo and Obiero were charged with murder under sections 203 and 204 of the Penal Code. The prosecution called 42 witnesses during the trial. 

The July 2026 conviction

On July 23, 2026, Justice Cecilia Githua delivered the judgment that changed the legal position of the three accused persons. The judge found that the prosecution had proved its case against all three beyond reasonable doubt and convicted them of murder. 

The judgment was based substantially on circumstantial evidence. Justice Githua found that the prosecution had established what she regarded as an unbroken chain of circumstances linking the accused persons to the events surrounding Sharon's abduction and death. 

The court rejected Obado's defence that he had accepted Sharon's pregnancy and had continued supporting her after their relationship ended. According to the judgment as reported, the court found evidence indicating that the pregnancy was central to the events that eventually culminated in Sharon's death. 

The judge also considered evidence concerning Obado's relationship with Sharon and the possible political and reputational consequences that the court found he feared if details of the relationship became widely known. The court concluded that Obado had a strong motive to prevent the relationship and pregnancy from becoming public. 

Evidence concerning Michael Oyamo

Michael Juma Oyamo, who had worked as Obado's personal assistant, was also convicted.

The court's findings concerning Oyamo included evidence surrounding his communications with Sharon and the organization of a meeting at Graca Hotel. According to the judgment, the prosecution persuaded the court that the meeting was not simply an ordinary meeting to deliver money but formed part of events leading to Sharon's abduction.

The court also considered evidence concerning an Airtel SIM card that Oyamo allegedly obtained using another person's identification details shortly before Sharon's murder. The judge found the circumstances surrounding the phone and its communications significant to the prosecution's case.

The case against Caspal Obiero

Caspal Ajwang Obiero, who worked for the Migori County Government, was the third person convicted.

The prosecution linked him to the events surrounding Sharon's abduction and murder, including evidence concerning a vehicle allegedly used to transport people involved in the operation. The court ultimately found that the evidence presented established his participation in the offence.

All three accused persons had denied the murder allegations during the trial. Their defence teams challenged the prosecution's reliance on circumstantial evidence, but Justice Githua ultimately found that the prosecution had met the required legal threshold. 

Why September 16 is important

The July conviction did not immediately determine the length of imprisonment or other punishment. Instead, the court directed that pre-sentence and victim-impact reports be prepared before sentencing.

Following the conviction, the court cancelled the three men's bond terms and ordered them to remain in custody pending the next stage of the case. The court wanted the probation reports and other relevant information before deciding the appropriate sentence. 

September 16 was subsequently fixed as the sentencing date. Today's proceedings therefore represent a different stage from the July judgment: the question before the court is no longer whether the three men are guilty, because the High Court has already convicted them. The focus is now on what punishment should follow the convictions and what circumstances should be considered before the sentences are imposed. 

 *Obado asks for leniency* 

Ahead of today's sentencing proceedings, Obado has asked the court to consider a lenient sentence.

According to reports on his pre-sentence position, Obado cited his age, health and the unusually long period that the criminal case took to conclude. He has also pointed to the fact that he remained on bond for much of the trial and complied with the conditions imposed on him.

Importantly, reports indicate that Obado has continued to deny participating in Sharon's murder despite the conviction. At the same time, he has expressed regret over Sharon's death and indicated a willingness to reconcile with her family.

His mitigation will be considered alongside the prosecution's position and the victim-impact material before the court determines the sentence.

 *Sharon's family's position* 

Sharon's family has also played an important role in the sentencing stage.

A victim-impact statement presented to the court described the emotional and financial consequences of Sharon's death. According to the family, they have faced enormous expenses during the years of court proceedings.

Reports indicate that the family spent approximately KSh1.2 million attending court proceedings, while funeral and burial expenses were estimated at about KSh3.5 million. The family said it had been forced to sell a one-acre piece of land and a cow to help meet expenses associated with the case. 

The family has also raised concerns about the future of Sharon's children and the needs of her ageing parents and siblings.

Sharon's children have grown up without their mother following her death in 2018. The family has therefore asked the court to consider not only the circumstances of the crime but also the long-term impact of the loss on those she left behind. 

Reconciliation and compensation

Another issue that has emerged before sentencing is reconciliation.

According to the probation report, representatives of Obado's family met Sharon's family in August 2026. The report indicated that Obado's family acknowledged commitments he had previously made to Sharon and expressed willingness to honour them.

The issue of compensation has also been raised. Sharon's family has asked the court to consider its financial difficulties and the cost of caring for her children and other dependants. 

However, compensation or reconciliation does not automatically determine the criminal sentence. The court must consider the law, the seriousness of the offence, the circumstances of the offenders, the impact on the victim's family and the submissions presented during mitigation.

 *What the court will consider today* 

During today's proceedings, Obado, Oyamo and Obiero are expected to make mitigation submissions. Mitigation gives convicted persons an opportunity to present circumstances that they believe should be considered before punishment is imposed.

The court is expected to consider the pre-sentence reports, the victim-impact statement, submissions from the defence and prosecution and other relevant circumstances.

Reports published before today's hearing indicated that Obado's lawyers were seeking leniency based on factors including his age, health and the length of the trial. Oyamo and Obiero also have their own circumstances and mitigation to present to the court. 

The victim-impact material gives the court another perspective by explaining how Sharon's death affected her family emotionally and financially.

 *What happens after sentencing?* 

Once Justice Githua delivers the sentences, the three convicted persons will have the opportunity to consider their legal options, including an appeal. At the time of conviction, the court formally informed them that they had a right to appeal. 

It is important to distinguish today's sentencing hearing from the July conviction. The July ruling established the court's finding of guilt. Today's proceedings are concerned with the appropriate punishment.

As of the morning of September 16, 2026, reports from Milimani High Court indicate that the sentencing process is underway and that the court is hearing the mitigation stage. The final sentence should therefore not be reported as already determined unless and until Justice Githua formally pronounces it. 

A case that has lasted almost eight years

The Sharon Otieno murder case has become one of Kenya's most closely followed criminal cases because of the personalities involved, the circumstances of Sharon's death and the length of the judicial process.

Nearly eight years after Sharon was killed, the case reached a major turning point with the July 2026 convictions. The September 16 sentencing proceedings represent another major stage, with the court now required to determine the consequences of those convictions.

For Sharon's family, the proceedings are also part of a much longer search for justice that has involved years of travelling to Nairobi, attending court, dealing with the emotional consequences of the death and raising her children.

For Obado and his co-convicts, today's proceedings determine the punishment that follows the convictions, subject to their legal rights of appeal.

The court's eventual decision will therefore be significant not only because of the sentences imposed, but also because it will mark the conclusion of the High Court's trial phase in a murder case that has remained in the public spotlight since September 2018.

Current position: As of September 16, 2026, Okoth Obado, Michael Juma Oyamo and Caspal Ajwang Obiero have been convicted of Sharon Otieno's murder, but the sentencing proceedings are the stage at which the court determines their punishment. The latest reports confirm that the three are before the Milimani High Court for mitigation and sentencing proceedings today.