Sharon had other lovers before Obado: Mother says

Murdered university student Sharon Otieno had multiple relationships resulting in three children before meeting former Migori Governor Okoth Obado, her mother has told the court.

Melinda Auma testified that the former governor was not the only man in her daughter's life, and that she had just walked out from her four-year marriage to another man before she met Obado while studying at Rongo University.

"She broke up with her husband of four years after the man prioritised paying her dowry instead of paying her university school fees. It was after that incident that I discovered she was dating the governor as well," said Auma.

According to Auma, Sharon, who was her first-born child, was a bright girl who topped her primary school until she joined secondary school where she scored a grade of C+.

After High School, Auma testified that her daughter got employment with an organisation in Oyugis town, Homa Bay county, where she met a man Henry Sipul who impregnated her before they broke up.

Sharon met another man, Bernard Okuta, who promised to marry her and take care of her firstborn child from the previous relationship.

"They decided to move in as husband and wife, and were blessed with two daughters. They initially stayed peacefully for about three to four years when we felt it was not good for her to be a housewife and advised her to go back to college," said Auma.

Auma said the marriage started experiencing problems in 2017 after Sharon had joined Rongo University and her husband was not willing to pay her fees, which forced her to defer her studies in the second year.

"I even went and talked with them in a bid to reconcile them but their issues were not resolved and the marriage broke down. The husband then walked out of their rented house and abandoned her with the children they had," said Auma.

Auma told the court that as a caring mother, they welcomed Sharon back home where she stayed until March 2018 when she noticed her daughter was pregnant again.

She said Sharon appeared stressed and when she asked who was responsible for the pregnancy, her daughter said it was Obado.

"She was stressed and depressed and when I asked her, she told me there was a communication breakdown between her and Obado after he had impregnated her. She almost miscarried the baby but I took her to hospital and the pregnancy was saved," said Auma.

Auma told the court that she warned her daughter about dating a politician but it was too late as she had already conceived.

Auma was testifying in the case where Obado, his former personal assistant Michael Oyamo and former Migori county clerk Caspal Obiero are charged with the murder of Sharon and her unborn baby on September 3, 2018 at Kowade area in Rachuonyo sub-county within Homa Bay county. The hearing continues.