Sharon Otieno’s Parents Open Door to Reconciliation with Obado

The family of slain university student Sharon Otieno has said it is open to reconciliation with the family of former Migori governor Zachary Okoth Obado, despite the pain caused by her death eight years ago.

The position was set out in a victim impact statement filed in court ahead of sentencing after Obado was convicted alongside his former aides, Michael Oyamo and Caspal Obiero, for Sharon’s murder. The statement said the two families met in August in a meeting led by Obado’s brother, Dominic Peter Akugo, and attended by Sharon’s parents, Douglas Zacharia Otieno and Melida Auma.

During the meeting, the families discussed promises Obado had made to Sharon before her death, including providing her with land and a house. Sharon’s family said it hoped the promises would be honoured, adding that the support would help ease the financial burden of raising her three children, who are now aged 12, 10 and eight.

Sharon’s parents described the lasting impact of her death on their family. They said they had struggled to explain to the children what happened to their mother, leaving them with questions that remain unanswered.

The family also described the financial cost of caring for the children. They said they spent Sh1.2 million on funeral expenses and a further Sh3.5 million over the years. They also spoke of the psychological impact of the loss, the disruption to their lives and the trauma of attending court proceedings for almost eight years.

Sharon, 26, was a student at Rongo University when she was abducted and killed in September 2018. She was 28 weeks pregnant at the time. The High Court found that Sharon’s pregnancy threatened Obado’s political standing and that he had the greatest interest in silencing her. 

Justice Cecilia Githua ruled that Oyamo lured Sharon under false pretences, while Obiero provided logistical support. The court found that the three men acted with a common intention to commit the crime.

Obado has maintained his innocence and argued that political rivals had exploited his relationship with Sharon. A pre-sentence report described Obado as a respected member of his community. It noted his previous work as a teacher and church elder and said residents of Uriri recognised his contributions. Some community members have appealed for leniency because of his standing and service to the area.

For Sharon’s family, however, reconciliation does not remove the pain of her death. They continue to seek psychological and financial support and say her death deprived them of a daughter who represented their hopes for a better future.

The family’s lawyer said they would file submissions alongside the defence and prosecution before sentencing, which is scheduled for 16 September. The case will now proceed to the sentencing stage, following one of Kenya’s most closely watched murder trials. Sharon’s family has indicated that it is willing to pursue reconciliation while continuing to seek accountability and compensation.