Everyone knew about my relationship with Sharon Otieno- Obado

Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado has acknowledged being romantically involved with the late university student Sharon Otieno.

Taking the stand at the Milimani High Court, where he is facing charges in connection with Sharon’s murder, Obado confirmed that he had indeed fathered her unborn child, although he had no intention of marrying her.

While giving his testimony before Justice Cecilia Githua, Obado stated that his affair with Sharon was widely known, adding that several employees in the Migori County Government were aware of the relationship.

Obado also disclosed that his wife, Hellen Adhiambo, became aware of his affair in May 2018 during a devolution conference attended by all county governors at the Acacia Hotel in Kisumu County.

He recalled an incident that occurred on the night of May 12, 2018, at around 11 p.m., when his wife called to confront him, questioning whether he was truly staying at the Acacia Hotel or at another location where he was rumored to have booked Sharon.

Although Obado denied sharing the same hotel with Sharon, he admitted to having paid for her accommodation at a different hotel within Kisumu during the same conference.

He further testified that his wife had mentioned receiving anonymous phone calls from individuals claiming he was involved in a romantic relationship with a woman named Sharon.

Initially, the former Migori governor denied any knowledge of Sharon, but his wife informed him that she had intended to confront him at the hotel.

"I hadn’t revealed to my wife that I was involved with another woman," he testified, adding, "When she mentioned it, I was shocked that she already knew. I still didn’t admit to knowing Sharon at that point," he said.

Obado told the court that after his wife revealed more details about the affair, he chose to admit the truth and apologize.

"I came clean and acknowledged that I was indeed involved with Sharon, and I expressed my remorse. I won’t disclose the exact words I used," he said during his testimony.

He added that in response, his wife mocked him, sarcastically suggesting that he should bring Sharon into their home to live with them.

Obado said he assured his wife that the affair was over, though he took full responsibility for Sharon’s pregnancy.

"At that point, the relationship was already out in the open. It was all over social media, and eventually, my Director of Communication and the media team became aware of it," he testified.

Obado stated that his Director of Communication, Nicholas Anyur, approached him seeking direction on how to manage the situation surrounding his affair with 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.

Former Governor Obado supported the testimony provided by Chief Inspector Nicholas Ole Sena, the lead investigator in the case, by confirming that his relationship with Sharon was not a secret and was, in fact, widely known by the public.

"My staff were aware of Sharon. When the affair started making rounds on social media, my main concern was how my wife would react," Obado testified.

He noted that his professional life remained largely unaffected by the revelations as he was nearing the end of his gubernatorial term.

"I wasn’t overly concerned about how this would impact my work since I was on my last term as governor. What troubled me most was how to handle things with my wife, Hellen Adhiambo," he added.

Obado went on to reveal that his eldest son, Dan, had learned about the affair even before his wife was aware of it.

"Dan, my firstborn, already knew about Sharon before my wife ever did," he said.

He recalled a moment on June 18, 2018, when he and his wife were abroad attending one of their children's graduation ceremonies.

The couple agreed that Obado would talk to Dan first, who would then relay the information to his siblings.

"I reached out to Dan and asked him to explain the situation to his siblings. Luckily, he was already in the know," Obado told the court.

He then brought up the issue of Sharon’s pregnancy.

"When I told him Sharon was expecting, he simply said it wasn’t news to him, he already knew," Obado recounted.

Led in testimony by his attorney Roger Sagana, the former governor further revealed that during the discussion with Dan, he learned that his son and Sharon had been in contact earlier.

"Dan told me they had interacted on social media. Sharon had even told him that she could possibly be his mother, as she was carrying his sibling. She went as far as sending him pictures of her baby bump," Obado said.

He also mentioned that Dan once gave Sharon a ride to Nairobi for a medical appointment.