Former Migori Governor Zacharia Okoth Obado has been found guilty of the murder of university student Sharon Otieno.
The High Court ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The court also found Obado’s former personal assistant, Michael Oyamo, and former Migori County Clerk Caspal Obiero guilty over Sharon’s murder.
The case dates back to the night of September 3 and 4, 2018.
Sharon and Nation Media Group journalist Barrack Oduor were abducted after leaving a hotel in Rongo.
Oduor escaped by jumping from the moving vehicle. Sharon’s body was later found near Kodera Forest in Uriri, Homa Bay County.
A postmortem conducted by Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor showed that she died from strangulation and excessive bleeding caused by multiple stab wounds.
The murder shocked the country and sparked nationwide outrage, leading to investigations that eventually linked Obado and his two co accused to the case.
The three first appeared before the High Court on September 24, 2018, where they denied the charges.
Thursday’s judgment brings to a close one of Kenya’s most closely watched murder trials, nearly eight years after Sharon was killed.
