Obado case: Suspect to be held for 10 days

Detectives believe they have made a major break in the hunt for the killers of university student Sharon Otieno and her unborn baby following the arrest of another suspect.

Mr Grado Kithine Ocholla’s arrest brings to four the number of people accused of taking part in the September 3 killings.

The others are Migori Governor Zakary Okoth Obado and his aides Michael Oyamo and Casper Obiero.

ADVERSELY

Lead investigator Clement Mwangi from the Homicide Unit of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said Mr Ocholla’s vehicle was used in the kidnap of Ms Otieno and Nation journalist Barrack Oduor from Migori town just hours before the murder.

According to detectives, the Migori County government employee has been adversely mentioned by witnesses.

VEHICLE

Police add that the car drove to Rongo.

Mr Oduor narrowly escaped death by jumping from the speeding vehicle, police say.

“Investigations have linked the respondent to the murder of Sharon Otieno whose body was found at Owade bridge in Oyugis,” Inspector Mwangi told a Kiambu magistrate court yesterday.

KILLER GANG

The court allowed police to detain Mr Ocholla for 10 more days.

Mr Ocholla was arrested in Migori on Friday at 1am and taken to Nairobi.

Detectives are also looking for three other people believed to have been part of the killer gang “and who are well known to Mr Ocholla”.

INVESTIGATIONS

Last week, DCI head George Kinoti said the search for the killers has been extended to Uganda and Tanzania.

Inspector Mwangi told the magistrate that Mr Ocholla would interfere with investigations if released.

He added that the accused is well known to one of those charged with the murder “and who has already pleaded not guilty”, though he did not give details.

FORENSIC

Mr Obado, Mr Oyamo and Mr Obiero’s murder case is pending at Millimani Law Courts where the county boss was freed on a Sh5 million bond last week.

Mr Mwangi said part of the investigation includes tracing Mr Ochollah’s movements on the day of the murder and September 4.

“His phone has to be submitted to the Cyber crime unit for forensic examination,” he said.

STAB WOUNDS

Ms Otieno, a second year Medical Records and Information student at Rongo University, was found dead with stab wounds, including on the unborn baby, in Kodera Forest.

Several days later in Nairobi,  Governor Obado admitted that he and Ms Otieno had an affair.