Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado’s romantic affair with slain student Sharon Otieno was not a secret, a top DCI officer Ole Sena informed the High Court on Friday adding that it was out in the public long before the abduction and murder tragic events.
While concluding his evidence in the murder trial against Obado and his two aides, Sena confirmed before Justice Cecilia Githua that the relationship was not a secret as his wife, son and the people in Migori county government knew that there was a love affair.
“I found out during investigations that the affair between the deceased and the first accused person was not a secret, it was known by the county employees but when it comes to the family of the deceased l can no conclusively say they knew about it,” Sena told the judge.
The DCI detective while being re-examined by State Prosecutor Wangui Gikui revealed that the wife of Obado became of the affair when they were together with her husband in London.
On the pregnancy, the officer stated the family of Obado was not aware of the same until the former county boss son Dan received pictures from Sharon and later forwarded the same to his mother and the other family members.
“The deceased(Sharon) sent scan pictures to the son of Obado about the pregnancy which he shared with the mother and the family,” Sena stated.
The officer also tendered evidence on phone records between Obado and Sharon extracted from an Iphone and a tablet belonging to the two lover birds respectively.
Sena informed the judge that from the details they extracted from Obado’s Iphone he had saved Sharon as hunny.
Justice Githua was shown about over 100 whatsapp messages sent to Obado by Sharon and some screen shot images retrieved from the late Rongo second year university student tablet.
” Here is the report of phone corresponding messages from page 50-166 information extracted from the Iphone belonging to Obado. The information relates to two days september 12 and 13, 2018,” the DCi officer showed the judge.
The court heard the conversation details betwen the two emerged after Obado was summoned at Kisumu DCI office for interrogation when his phone was consficated by the investigators led by Sena.
“The phone was surrender when Obado recorded a statement while in Kisumu DCI offices on Septmber 12, 2018,” He said
Additionally, the DCI detective informed the court that before she was killed, Sharon was abducted alongside alongside another key witness whom he identified XYC who escaped death by a whisker.
Sena confirmed to court that Sharon and XYC who were at a hotel in Rongo town in Migori County were led to the vehicle that abducted them by Obado’s personal assistant Micheal Oyamo.”They were led to this car identified as KCL grey in colour by the second accused on September 3,2018,” Sena said.
Justice Gichua was also told the car which abducted Sharon and XYC was being driven by Jackson Gombe but belonged to a lady known as Olivia Odhiambo and its car tracker on the material date was switched off so as to conceal the movement.
“My investigation shows that the car belonged to one Olivia Odhiambo. The car tracker was not working on the fate day. The car tracker was on, on Sepmber 2 and back on Septmber 4,2018. The car was tempered to concile the movement of that day of Septmber 3,2018 when Sharon and XYC were abducted,” the court heard.
Further, Sena added that upon interrogation with Gombe the driver of the car, he revealed that on September 3,2018 he found Obado’s assistants Michael Oyamo and Caspal Obiero at the house Olivia had a close door meeting.The officer said that his investigations further revealed that Obiero used a different motor vehicle registration number KCF 419K to leave the Rongo Hotel minutes after the late Obado’s girlfriend and XYC were abducted.
Days before the abduction and the murder of sharon and her unborn child, the court was informed that late student and XYC had traveled to Nairobi on August 24,2018 to meet Obado and were picked at the airport by Oyamo.
” The second accused (Oyamo) facilitated Sharon and XYC to travel to Nairobi. Oyamo told the duo that they would receive Sh 22,000 for transport. The cash was sent to Sharon through a lady who has since testified in court,” Sena stated.
The court heard that the Obado’s two assistants tried to cover up their actions after the murder by trying to forge medical documents from the Kisii referral hospital.
“In order to conceal the murder and third accused person Obiero forged medical documents from Kisii Hospital for Oyamo. The documents which Oyamo presented at Oriri police station upon interrogation from employees at the Kisii facility confirmed that they did not originate from the said hospital,” Sena told the court.
The DCI officer also denied that the investigations into the murder of Sharon were not motivated by any political influences.
“I confirm the investigations into this case were done thoroughly, with impartiality and professionally,” Officer Sena stated.
The court heard that the DCI Headquarters detectives from Nairobi took over the probe since the case was of high public interest as it involved a
sitting governor of Migori, XYC being a Media Personality and subsequently murder of Sharon with her unborn child.
After concluding his testimony, prosecutor Gikui shocked the court by revealing that some of the exhibits including the clothes that Sharon wore during the incident can not be traced.
Gikui stated that they were unable to locate the clothes that had earlier been identified in court by government chemist officer John Kimani Mugai on July 14, 2021.
” Your honour we have an application regarding to the MFI 9a to 9e which refers to the clothes Sharon was wearing recovered at the scene of crime. We are unable to locate them after they were adduced in court on July 7,2021. The prosecution and DCI are unable to find them we have consulted defence and seek to use the photos taken at the scene of crime instead,” Gikui told Githua.
The parties are expected case to file submissions on a case to answer.
