Migori, September 16 — The High Court temporarily adjourned the mitigation and sentencing hearing for former Migori Governor Okoth Obado and his two co-convicts on Wednesday after Sharon Otieno’s parents requested an interpreter to address the court.
Justice Cecilia Githua heard the matter roughly two months after the three were convicted of murdering Sharon in 2018.
The proceedings hit a snag when it emerged that Sharon’s family had not filed a victim impact statement, after their lawyers, acting on advice from the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), opted against doing so. “On the part of the petitioner’s family, instructed by the Federation of Women Lawyers, we did not file submissions for reasons we can not state now,” the family’s lawyer told the court.
With Sharon’s parents seeking to speak before sentencing, the court adjourned temporarily to arrange an interpreter to facilitate their participation. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions had already submitted victim impact reports detailing how the murder affected the family, material the court will weigh alongside mitigation and pre-sentencing reports.
The conviction followed Justice Githua’s finding that prosecutors had proved their case beyond reasonable doubt, with evidence showing the three played distinct roles in Sharon’s killing.
A probation report revealed that Sharon’s family spent an estimated Ksh4.7 million over the eight-year legal battle, raising funds through the sale of property and livestock. In a notable development ahead of sentencing, Obado’s relatives met with Sharon’s parents in August as part of reconciliation efforts.