Former Migori Governor Zachary Okoth Obado and his two co-convicts will return to the High Court on September 16, 2026, for sentencing after they were found guilty of the 2018 murder of university student Sharon Otieno.
The sentencing date was set on Tuesday by the High Court after a probation officer presented a victim impact report outlining how Sharon’s killing affected her family.
Obado, his former personal assistant and a former Migori County clerk were convicted after Lady Justice Cecilia Githua ruled on July 23 that the prosecution had proved its case against the three beyond reasonable doubt.
The court has directed both the prosecution and defence teams to file and serve their submissions before the sentencing hearing.
At the hearing, Justice Githua will consider the victim impact report, submissions from both sides and other relevant factors before deciding the appropriate sentence for the three convicts.
In her July 23 ruling, the judge said the prosecution had presented a complete chain of circumstantial evidence linking Obado and his two co-accused to Sharon’s murder.
“I am satisfied that the circumstances presented in this case, taken cumulatively, form a chain so complete that there is no escape from the conclusion that the accused persons, jointly with others not before the court, committed the offence,” Justice Githua ruled.
The conviction followed the court’s finding that the prosecution had established its case against the three in relation to Sharon’s killing.