Love, lies and pregnancy that wasn't: Okoth Obado recounts Sharon Otieno's shady tales

Much like Fatal Attraction, the 1987 romantic horror movie in which Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas) makes the catastrophic error of engaging in an extramarital affair with the unhinged Alex Forrest (Glenn Close), former Migori Governor Okoth Obado now finds himself entangled in a real-life drama no less shocking, intimate or tragic.

In the film, Forrest's obsession spirals into menace, threatening Gallagher's family and ultimately ending in violence. Laced with outstanding performances, heated sexuality, and enough jump scares to give you an adrenaline overdose, this film is truly one of a kind. It explores difficult topics, such as infidelity, remorse, and criminality, in a cinematically masterful way.

In Obado's case, the relationship with university student Sharon Otieno would culminate in her brutal killing, a case that has gripped Kenya's courts and conscience since 2018.

In an emotional confession, Obado says he had misgivings about his affair with Sharon. He, for the first time, publicly admitted to the affair with Sharon, but insisted he maintained ties with her primarily to protect his reputation and family. What followed was a blow-by-blow courtroom account of how the relationship began, unravelled, and ultimately ended in a murder for which he now stands trial.

Appearing before Justice Cecilia Githua, the former county chief, flanked by his defence counsel Rodger Sagana, gave a startlingly candid description of his personal involvement with the 26-year-old student, whose body was found dumped in Kodera Forest on the night of September 3-4, 2018.

"We first met at an Interpol meeting in Nairobi. We had never met before that. I didn't know her. After the meeting, we exchanged contacts," Obado revealed.

That seemingly innocuous encounter was all it took. Within three days, Obado said, he reconnected with Sharon in Kisumu, and that is when their intimate relationship kicked off.

"After that first meeting, we started communicating frequently. I told her I was travelling to Kakamega for another meeting, and we met again in Kisumu. In Kisumu, the conversation between us intensified. One thing led to another," he recounted.

When pressed by Justice Githua to clarify the timeline between their first contact and first intimate engagement, Obado replied, "It was about three days, my lady. That is when we got into an intimate situation."

His calm delivery belied the gravity of the unfolding narrative, a whirlwind relationship that, by his account, unravelled just as rapidly.

The affair, which began in November 2017, was, according to Obado, short-lived.

"From that November, the intimate relationship did not last very long. By late February to early March 2018, I had started developing cold feet," he testified.

Sharon's inconsistencies

Obado said he began to notice inconsistencies in Sharon's stories.

"She told me she had a stationery business. I offered to help her grow it. Later, I came to learn she did not have such a business," he said.

She later claimed to have a second business, which also turned out to be fictitious.

That was not the only surprise. More alarmingly, Sharon had told the governor that she only had one child, but shockingly, Obado discovered she had two other children.

"She told me she had one child. I later discovered she had three all from different men," he said.

Then came what Obado claimed was the biggest inconsistency.

The most consequential falsehood, however, came in January 2018 when Sharon claimed she was pregnant with Obado's child. She even sent him what appeared to be ultrasound images.

"She told me she was pregnant and sent me some images, ultrasound of a pregnancy. Later, she told me she wasn't pregnant, that she just wanted to see my reaction. That, to me, was a very big inconsistency," he told court.

By early March 2018, Obado said the romantic aspect of the relationship had ended. But in a dramatic twist, Sharon later claimed she was pregnant again, this time for real.

At this juncture, lawyer Sagana pressed further: "At the time of ending the relationship, had you known she was pregnant for you?"

"My lady, I had my misgivings. I had many doubts about the pregnancy since, on several occasions, l had seen her with other men and the fact she had children from different fathers. I told myself it could not be me. Possibly, it could be someone else," Obado responded.

Despite ending the romantic affair, Obado said he continued supporting Sharon till her tragic death.

"We agreed that we would just be friends. And if she needs something, I would still assist. But in terms of intimacy and romantic friendship, l said no," he added.

Obado told the court that even before Sharon disclosed the pregnancy, he used to frequently give her money for upkeep and to help expand her alleged businesses.

When Sagana asked why he continued to maintain Sharon after cutting romantic ties, Obado responded:

"It was on the assumption that she might be carrying my child. Even though I had doubts, I said, in the event it is true, let me not run away from it."

Initially, Obado said he was giving Sharon money directly. Later, he began sending it through his then associate, the late former Kanyadoto MCA Lawrence Mula, who died after he testified as a prosecution witness in the murder case.

"She once texted me and said 'thank you, I have received the Sh100,000 you sent me. We will arrange how to pay the house tomorrow," Obado recalled, referencing a message sent just weeks before Sharon was killed.

Sharon had also requested medical support during her pregnancy. Obado testified that he gave her money to purchase a medical cover.

"Even after we terminated the relationship, I continued helping her with medical needs. I gave her cash for medical cover when she was pregnant," he said.

Family affair

In one of the more sensational moments of his testimony, Obado recalled the April 2018 Devolution Conference in Kakamega. Sharon had checked into a hotel in Kisumu at the same time governors were staying nearby.

"Governors were booked in the Acacia Hotel in Kisumu. That time, Sharon had also booked herself into the Carlion Hotel in Kisumu," he said.

Late that night, Obado received a call from his wife at around 11pm.

"She asked me where I was and if I was safe. Then she asked me, 'Do you know a lady called Sharon?' I told her, 'Sharon, who? I do not know the Sharon you are talking about,'" he said.

According to Obado, the wife dropped the bombshell that she knew Sharon who was in Kisumu and had even booked a room.

"She said she had plans to catch me red-handed," said the former governor. Eventually, he confessed to the affair.

Though he denied staying at the same hotel as Sharon, Obado admitted to paying for her accommodation in a separate hotel.

"I told her the truth. I admitted I had been involved with Sharon. She mocked me and said, 'Then bring her home to live with us in the old house in our rural home in Rapogi Uriri Sub-county.' I apologised."

He assured his wife that the relationship had ended but acknowledged responsibility for Sharon's pregnancy.

"By the time my wife came to know about it, it was no longer a secret. Social media was abuzz with the relationship, and it eventually reached my director of communication and media team," he testified.

Obado said his Director of Communication Nicholas Anyuor approached him for guidance on how to handle the matter regarding the affair between him and Sharon.

"I told him it was a private affair and not a county issue so the media team didn't need to intervene," he said.

Obado also corroborated the testimony of Investigating Officer Chief Inspector Nicholas Ole Sena, affirming that the relationship was well known to the public.

"My staff knew her. When the relationship surfaced on social media, I became worried, mostly about my wife's reaction. I wasn't too worried about it affecting my work since I was serving my final term as governor. My biggest concern was resolving things with my wife, Hellen Adhiambo," he said.

He also disclosed that his firstborn son, Dan, knew about the affair before his wife did.

"My son is called Dan, and even before my wife discovered Sharon's existence, Dan already knew about her," he stated.

He went on to describe an incident on June 18, 2018, when he and his wife had traveled abroad for one of their children's graduations.

He and his wife agreed that he would first share the matter with Dan, who would then break the news to his five other siblings.

"I called Dan and asked him to inform his siblings. Fortunately, he already knew about Sharon," Obado said.

In his evidence, Obado stated that while having a conversation with his son, he realised that he had been communicating with Sharon earlier on.

"Dan said they knew each other through social media and Sharon told Dan that she could be his mother, and that she was carrying his brother. She even sent him her baby bump photos," Obado said adding that at one point, Dan had even given Sharon a lift to Nairobi for medical check up.

The governor also revealed he had planned to build Sharon a three-bedroom house worth Sh3 million in Homa Bay.

He said these demands were conveyed to him by former MCA Mula and a journalist identified as "XYZ" during a meeting at his home in Rapogi.

According to Obado, the project was meant to help Sharon settle independently and manage her affairs more discreetly amid growing public scrutiny of their affair.

"My lady, the proposal for a house in Nairobi or Kisumu was discussed, but I discouraged it. I told Mula it would be better for her to have a house in Homa Bay. I proposed buying land and building a three-bedroom house worth Sh3 million," Obado said.

Sharon had suggested a 50x100 plot within Homa Bay town, but the governor preferred a more rural location due to cost.

The prosecution has argued that Obado was the mastermind behind Sharon's murder, motivated by fear of public embarrassment and political fallout due to her pregnancy.

I didn't kill her

In response to the allegations by the prosecution, Obado said he neither killed Sharon nor did he send his PA, Michael Oyamo, who is the second accused.

"I did not kill Sharon Otieno. I did not conspire to kill Sharon," Obado told the court in a composed but emotional tone.

Obado also gave a detailed account of his whereabouts during the days surrounding Sharon's brutal murder, outlining his movements from September 1 to 4, 2018 in a bid to counter claims placing him near the crime scene.

"On September 1, 2018, which was a Saturday, I was in church the whole day because we had a function in my home," he said.

According to the former county boss, the following day, he spent the morning receiving visitors, and by noon, he left for Nairobi with his wife, youngest daughter, driver and bodyguard.

"On September 3, I left the house at around 10am and went to meet my friends at Lavington Mall. We stayed together until around 3pm," Obado testified.

Later that day, he recalled remembering an appointment with Ida Odinga, wife to ODM leader Raila Odinga.

"I had spoken to Mama Ida earlier. We were to meet in Bondo, but when I called her after church on Saturday, she said she was returning to Nairobi. So, I called her again after lunch, and she said she had just gotten home. So I went to see her at her Karen residence," he narrated.

He closed his testimony with an emotional appeal: "I urge this court to acquit me of the murder charges."