From political titan to convicted killer: The rise and fall of Okoth Obado

The former Migori Governor Okoth Obado was a politician of a different pedigree in the Nyanza region, one who defied the grain and inspired a fiercely loyal following, with supporters whose faith in his leadership rarely wavered.

Obado was a study in contrasts: a commanding political force wrapped in a remarkably polite and soft-spoken demeanour.

The fall of the once-dominant political figure, following his conviction in the Sharon Otieno murder case, has brought his journey to an unforgiving end.

Thursday evening marked the sunset of a high-profile political life with a mix of a blank stare and a measured smile, a long walk toward an unforgiving reality as Obado made his way to remand for 21 days as he awaited sentencing.

Before the Sharon Otieno case, Obado was a high-flying politician serving his second term as governor of Migori County.

In the rough and murky politics of South Nyanza, Obado traversed the political landscape like a colossus.

Having begun his political career in the trade union movement, particularly within the sugarcane-growing sector, he built strong connections with grassroots sugarcane farmers and workers, who often defended him, sometimes with their tools of trade.

He commanded a fiercely loyal support base that responded to his calls at a moment's notice. Yet, despite the tough image he projected in politics, Obado's demeanour in person was strikingly different.

Obado was soft-spoken. He rarely raised his voice and could hardly be heard from the back of a room. Yet he was a politician of steely resolve.

His polite demeanour often sent the wrong signal to his political opponents. Those who underestimated him did so at their own peril.

Then, on September 4, 2018, Sharon Otieno was found dead in Kodera Forest in Uriri, Homa Bay County.

That discovery marked a turning point in the life of a politician whose career had reached the highest levels of county leadership.

Obado soon became the prime murder suspect, with his relationship with the deceased taking centre stage as investigators pieced together what became one of the country's most high-profile murder cases.