The mother of slain Rongo University student Sharon Otieno, Melida Auma, has spoken of the family's painful eight-year journey, saying the conviction of former Migori Governor Okoth Obado and his two co-accused has brought justice but not an end to their grief.
Speaking days after the High Court found Obado, his former personal assistant Michael Oyamo and former Migori County clerk Caspal Obiero guilty of Sharon's murder, Auma described the emotional, social and psychological toll the case has had on the family.
"It has not been easy for the family at large. The family has been grieving all the way through, and even after the judgment, we are still grieving, but because of God we shall not grieve forever; there is always life after death," she said.
She said the prolonged court process had come with immense challenges.
"The journey has been very long, very hectic with a lot of challenges, socially, economically, emotionally, and psychologically. Psychologically, it has been tormenting; socially, there has been a lot of bullying on social media as if Sharon was not somebody's daughter, as if she did not deserve dignity."
Despite the convictions, she said the family was beginning a new chapter.
"It has not ended, this is now just a beginning of a new life in that chapter."
While declining to comment directly on the court's decision, she said she believed justice had been served.
"About the judgement in court, I cannot say anything, but to say that the court had its own proceedings, whatever the judgement that was there on the 23rd, that was what God saw, but according to me, there is nothing I can say because I have mourned my daughter enough."
She added: "She has found justice but I have forgiven those who might have involved themselves in that act as a Christian."
On July 23, Justice Cecilia Githua convicted Obado, Oyamo and Obiero of Sharon's murder after finding that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The judge held that the chain of circumstantial evidence presented during the trial sufficiently linked the three to the killing.
Sharon, who was 26 and about seven months pregnant at the time of her death, was abducted in September 2018 alongside journalist Barrack Oduor, who escaped after jumping from the attackers' vehicle.
Her body was later found in a thicket near Kodera Forest in Homa Bay County, triggering one of Kenya's most closely watched murder trials.
Following the convictions, the High Court cancelled the bond terms of the three convicted men and remanded them in custody pending sentencing and the preparation of pre-sentence and victim impact reports.
