Obado aide tells court he never knew Sharon personally

Michael Oyamo, the ex-personal aide to former Migori Governor Okoth Obado and a key suspect in the murder of Sharon Otieno, told a Nairobi court on Wednesday that he had no personal relationship with the deceased and asked to be cleared of the charges.

While defending himself before High Court Judge Cecilia Githua, Oyamo said DNA tests conducted by police had confirmed that he was not the father of Sharon’s unborn child.

This comes after the court ruled that Oyamo, Obado, and other suspects had a case to answer in the ongoing trial. Obado, who is the first accused, has already given his defence and also denied fathering the child.

"I came to know Sharon in July 2018, through rumours and later through two gentlemen who called me seeking for appointment with my boss, the then governor of Migori, Okoth Obado," Oyamo told the court.

He said one of the callers introduced himself as Honourable Mula and asked if he was the governor’s personal assistant.

Mula said he had been trying to reach the governor without success and asked Oyamo to help.

Oyamo told the court he declined to assist until Mula explained what the matter was about.

Mula then revealed that there was a woman in a relationship with the governor and that she was pregnant.

The woman had reached out to him after failing to get in touch with the governor.

Mula added that they had also contacted a journalist who would publish their story if the governor did not respond.

"When I asked him what the story was about, he said the lady was pregnant and the governor had abandoned her, so they had sought a journalist's intervention to publish the story for them to get the governor's attention," Oyamo said.

About ten minutes later, Oyamo received another call from a new number.

The caller told him he got the number from someone in the governor’s communication office.

Sharon then called Oyamo herself, and after they talked, he promised to inform the governor and respond.

He later spoke to Obado, who said he was already aware of the matter and had been contacted by Honourable John Mbadi, who gave him a journalist’s phone number.

"My lady, it took me some time to process what I had been told, then I got the courage and told my boss about the matter, who then told me that Honourable John Mbadi had called him and had given him the XYZ phone number," Oyamo said.

He also told the court that a few days later, Obado gave him Sh200,000 in cash and told him to take it to Mula. When he delivered the money, he found Mula with Sharon and XYZ and was instructed to give the money to the woman.

On August 15, 2018, he was again sent by the governor with Sh100,000 for Sharon’s welfare.

However, the next day Sharon called him and said there was a problem between Mula and XYZ, who was unhappy that he had met Mula alone.

Oyamo said he explained to Sharon that he was only following his boss’s instructions. He later called Mula, who confirmed that he and the journalist had exchanged words over the issue.

"Mula told me they had exchanged words through phone calls, and it was because I had met him alone and gave him the cash, which he gave Sharon, yet they had agreed that in any meeting from the governor's side, they should all be there," Oyamo told the court.

Sharon later reached out to Oyamo again and asked him to help arrange a meeting with the governor to solve the issue. The court adjourned the hearing to Thursday.