Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado has defended himself in court in the ongoing proceedings where he has been found to have a case to answer in the 2018 murder of Rongo university student Sharon Otieno.
Testifying on Wednesday, Obado said he was open about his affair with Sharon, claiming he had confessed the relationship to his wife and had already begun taking steps to end it before Sharon’s untimely death.
He stated that he accepted responsibility for Sharon’s pregnancy, apologized to his wife, and assured her that the relationship was over. Obado also said he had no intention of taking a second wife and had made this clear to all parties involved.
In a surprising turn, Obado disclosed that his wife had offered to give Sharon one of their homes, a suggestion he declined. He emphasized that this gesture was not something he supported, reaffirming his stance against polygamy.
Recounting a private meeting, Obado said he once found himself in a boardroom with his wife, a journalist, and a man identified as XYZ. His wife had already been informed about the affair in August, but XYZ—allegedly acting on messages from journalist Lawrence Muller—wanted to confirm the details firsthand.
Obado noted that during the meeting, his wife briefly stepped out to prepare tea, at which point XYZ shared that Muller had approached him regarding a potential story on the affair.
“My wife was present during that meeting—even when money changed hands,” Obado said. “In fact, it was my wife who lent me the Ksh.30,000 that I gave them.”
He also described a separate meeting with Muller at Heron Court Hotel in Nairobi, during which Muller relayed Sharon’s request for housing assistance in either Nairobi or Kisumu. Obado claimed he rejected both suggestions, proposing instead to buy land in Homa Bay and build her a house worth Ksh.3 million.
“Muller later told me Sharon had refused the Homa Bay offer and insisted on a 50 by 100 plot in Kisumu. But I stood firm—I was only willing to support a rural land purchase,” he said.
Obado further testified that Sharon’s pregnancy-related health concerns were discussed, and he promised to support her through Muller. He also arranged for her to be covered under a medical plan.
