Sharon Otieno's parents seek Dholuo interpreter during Obado sentencing
Crime and Justice
By
Nancy Gitonga
| Sep 16, 2026
Sharon Otieno’s parents, Douglas Otieno and Melinda Auma, have asked the High Court for a Dholuo interpreter to enable them to address the court during the sentencing of former Migori governor Okoth Obado and his two former aides.
The parents, through their lawyer Antony Opondo, on Wednesday told Justice Cecilia Githua that they wanted to speak during the sentencing proceedings but did not understand English.
“My Lady, the victim’s parents would want to have a chance to address the court. And seek a Dholuo interpreter,” their lawyer told the judge.
The request led to a temporary adjournment of the sentencing hearing as the court sought to secure a Luo interpreter for the two parents.
“Following the application by the deceased parents’ lawyer, we are going to adjourn briefly for the court to get the interpreter,” Justice Githua ruled.
The judge further said she would give directions on who should address the court first when the proceedings resume, including whether Sharon’s parents, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) or the convicts should make their submissions.
The DPP has also asked the court to allow Sharon’s parents to address the court first during the sentencing proceedings before the prosecution and the convicts make their respective submissions on mitigation.
At the same time, the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Kenya) informed the court that it would not participate in the sentencing hearing.
The federation also told the court that it had not filed the victim impact statement as earlier directed by the court.
Obado and his two former aides are before the court for mitigation ahead of sentencing after they were convicted of the murder of Sharon, who was pregnant at the time of her death.
The three were found guilty following a lengthy trial in which the prosecution presented evidence concerning Sharon’s abduction, the circumstances surrounding her death and the disposal of her body.
Sharon was abducted in September 2018 after she left a hotel in Rongo, Migori County, while pregnant.
Her body was later discovered in a thicket in Kodera Forest, Homa Bay County, several days after her disappearance.
The prosecution told the court during the trial that Sharon had suffered multiple injuries before her death.
The court subsequently convicted Obado and his two former aides, paving the way for the sentencing proceedings currently before Justice Githua.
The court is expected to consider submissions from the prosecution, mitigation by the convicts and their lawyers, as well as the impact of Sharon’s death on her family.
The Victim Impact Statement is also expected to form part of the material considered by the court before the sentences are handed down.
Proceedings were temporarily halted to allow the Judiciary to provide the requested Luo interpreter, with the court expected to issue further directions when the hearing resumes.
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