Okoth Obado, a former Migori County governor in Kenya, has been convicted of murdering Sharon Otieno, his pregnant 26-year-old university student girlfriend.

Mr Obado and his co-accused, his former personal assistant and clerk, were convicted on Thursday after eight years of investigations into the death of Ms Otieno, whose bloodied body was found in a bush in 2018.

Judge Cecilia Githua, who presided over the case televised live, ruled that Mr Obado “orchestrated a plot to eliminate Otieno” and “supplied motive, instigation and funds to finance the criminal enterprise.”

The judge added that Mr Obado’s former personal assistant, Michael Oyamo, “facilitated execution,” while former county clerk Caspal Obiero “ensured logistical support and concealment to avoid detection of the offence.”

Barack Oduor, a journalist with Nation Media Group, had provided the lead into Ms Otieno’s murder, revealing the deceased had contacted him and told him about her affair with the then governor of Migori County.

According to Mr Oduor, he and the late Otieno met and were kidnapped, but he luckily escaped from the moving vehicle.

Mr Oduor’s account of the abduction aided police investigations to trace the vehicle after Ms Otieno was found dead two days after the incident. Evidence showed she had been raped and stabbed to death.

Ms Otieno’s legal team said, “We are happy with the conviction. We believe that justice has at last been served to Sharon.”

Mr Obado and his co-accused are in custody pending their sentencing.