'If I could be a dog, I would bite them and lick their blood,' Sharon's father tells court

The late Sharon Otieno’s parents, Douglas Otieno and Melinda Auma before the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi on September 16, 2026. [David Gichuru, Standard]

Sharon Otieno’s father has told the High Court he remains bitter towards two of her killers but has forgiven former Migori Governor Okoth Obado after he reached out to the family for reconciliation.

Douglas Zachariah Otieno told Justice Cecilia Githua that Obado’s decision to send relatives to his home seeking reconciliation had softened his position on the sentence but said he remained deeply bitter towards Michael Juma Oyamo and Caspal Obiero.

“After the judgment, Obado sent his relatives to my house for a reconciliation attempt. Because of his remorse, a non-custodial sentence is okay,” Otieno told the court.

But the father sharply distinguished Obado from the former governor’s two co-convicts, whom he accused of being the last people to meet his daughter before she was handed over to her killers.

“But I am too bitter before this court seeing Oyamo and Casper (Obado's co-accused),” he said.

Otieno said he had waited years for an opportunity to address the court directly about his daughter’s death, describing the legal journey as one marked by pain, repeated travel and emotional exhaustion.

“I thank the court for giving me an opportunity for 9 years have not talked in the court,” he said.

The grieving father told the judge that he was saddened by the fact that all three convicted men remained in custody, but said his position was particularly focused on Obado because of the reconciliation efforts made through his family.

“I feel very sad that the three accused persons who are well known to me are today in custody,” Otieno said.

He added: “It has been 9 years of travelling to this court and I thank the court for giving me justice.”

Otieno said his appearance before the court was driven by a desire to have his position on Obado clearly understood.

Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado, Michael Oyamo and Caspal Obiero before the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi on September 16, 2026. [David Gichuru, Standard]

“My main agenda here for today is Zachariah Obado. He sent his family reconciliation for we pray the court gives him a custodial sentence,” he told the judge.

However, his anger towards Oyamo and Obiero was unmistakable.

“I’m too bitter in this court seeing Oyamo here and Casper this are two individuals who lastly met my daughter and handed him over to his killers,” Otieno said.

In one of the most emotional moments of his address, Otieno described the depth of his anger towards the two men.

“If I could be a dog, I would bite them and lick their blood. I am too bitter with the two,” he said.

He also accused them of showing no remorse.

“They are not remorseful,” Otieno told the court.

The High Court is considering the views of Sharon’s family alongside mitigation submissions, pre-sentence reports and the prosecution’s position before determining the sentences for Obado, Oyamo and Obiero.

The three were convicted by Justice Githua on July 23 over Sharon’s murder after the court found that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Sharon, 26, was seven months pregnant when she was killed in September 2018.

She was a second-year Rongo University student pursuing a diploma in Medical Records and left behind children who are now aged between nine and 12.

Her family has previously told the court that it spent about Sh1.2 million attending court proceedings and Sh3.5 million on funeral expenses, forcing it to sell family land and a cow to meet the financial burden.