NewzNAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 16 – The High Court will on November 27 deliver the sentences of former Migori Governor Okoth Obado and his two co-convicts following their conviction for the murder of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno. Justice Cecilia Githua set the date on Wednesday after hearing mitigation submissions from the prosecution, the victims’ family and the defence teams. The ruling will be delivered after the court’s annual recess, with Justice Githua saying the break had necessitated the postponement of the sentencing.
“We will deliver ruling on sentence on November 27. You will recall that I had indicated that the court is commencing its annual leave tomorrow and that’s why it will be delivered then,” Justice Githua said. Obado, 64, was convicted alongside his former personal assistant Michael Juma Oyamo and former Migori County official Caspal Ojwang Obiero on July 23 after the court found that the prosecution had proved the murder case beyond reasonable doubt.
The three will now remain in custody until the court determines the appropriate punishment, with the judge expected to consider the circumstances of the offence, individual culpability and the mitigation presented by each convict. Prosecution appeal During the mitigation hearing, State Counsel Gukui Gichuhi urged the court to impose sentences that reflect the seriousness of the offence, protect the interests of the public and uphold confidence in the administration of justice. The prosecution asked the court to assess each convict individually while considering factors such as whether they were first offenders, their previous character, physical condition, prospects of rehabilitation, remorse, reconciliation, personal and family circumstances and the period they have spent in custody.
The State also told the court there was no evidence of provocation, self-defence or other sudden circumstances that could substantially reduce the convicts’ responsibility for the offence. The Director of Public Prosecutions has separately asked the court to consider the circumstances surrounding the murder and the individual role played by each of the three men when determining their sentences. For Sharon’s family, the sentencing has come after nearly eight years of emotional and financial strain following her death.
In a victim impact statement, the family said it had spent about Sh1.2 million attending court… NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 16 – The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has urged the High Court in Nairobi to impose the death sentence on former Migori Governor Zachary Okoth Obado and his two co-convicts over the murder of university student Sharon Otieno and her unborn child. Obado, his former Personal Assistant Michael Juma Oyamo and Caspal Obiero were convicted after the High Court found that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt in the murder of Otieno and her unborn child.
During sentencing submissions before Justice Cecilia Githua, Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (SADPP) Gikui Gichuhi urged the court to consider the maximum penalty provided under Section 204 of the Penal Code. The prosecution asked the court to consider the circumstances surrounding the offence and the individual culpability of each of the three convicted persons when determining the sentence. Gichuhi said the prosecution respected the decision by Sharon’s parents, Douglas Otieno and Melinda Auma, to forgive Obado and appeal for leniency.
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