How Treasury CS Mbadi Got Entangled in the Obado-Sharon Affair

New revelations in the Sharon Otieno murder trial expose Cabinet Secretary’s role as mediator in toxic relationship

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi found himself unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight of one of Kenya’s most notorious murder cases this week, as shocking testimony revealed his role as a mediator in the ill-fated relationship between former Migori Governor Okoth Obado and the late Sharon Otieno.

The revelation emerged during dramatic testimony by Michael Oyamo, Obado’s former personal assistant, who is standing trial alongside his former boss for the brutal 2018 murder of the 26-year-old Rongo University student who was carrying Obado’s child.

According to Oyamo’s testimony before Justice Cecilia Githua, Mbadi became involved when Sharon Otieno threatened to expose her relationship with the married governor to the media.

The young woman had grown frustrated with Obado’s silence and was reportedly planning to go public with details of their affair and her pregnancy.

“Mr Mbadi had enlisted a former MCA, the late Lawrence Mullah, to mediate,” Oyamo testified, describing how the current Treasury CS had been brought in to help resolve what was becoming an explosive situation for the then-governor.

The mediation plan was elaborate and expensive. Mbadi allegedly tasked Mullah with finding land in Homa Bay County, purchasing it, and building a house for Sharon, who was expecting Obado’s child.

The arrangement positioned Mullah as a go-between, receiving financial assistance from Obado to pass on to Sharon in the presence of a journalist identified only as “XYZ.”

Money trail

Cash.

The financial arrangements soon became complex and contentious. Oyamo testified that he personally delivered the first installment of Sh200,000 from Obado to Sharon at Tausi Hotel in July 2018, followed by another Sh100,000.

All transactions were facilitated through Mbadi’s chosen mediator, Mullah.

However, the mediation efforts were undermined by growing disputes between Mullah and the journalist XYZ over control of the funds. Sharon, caught in the middle, began calling Oyamo repeatedly, complaining that XYZ was interfering with Mullah’s role in the financial arrangements.

The situation deteriorated further when Sharon suggested a direct meeting with Obado to bypass the increasingly complicated mediation structure that Mbadi had established.

The fatal meeting

The mediation attempts reached their tragic conclusion in August 2018. While Obado was in Nairobi for a Council of Governors meeting, Sharon requested that Oyamo organize a meeting between herself, XYZ, and Mullah to resolve the ongoing financial disputes.

In explosive testimony delivered today, Oyamo provided chilling details of how he facilitated Sharon’s final journey to Nairobi.

On August 24, 2018—just days before her murder—Oyamo transferred Sh22,500 to Sharon to purchase a flight ticket to Nairobi where she was scheduled to meet with Governor Obado.

The transaction itself reveals the clandestine nature of these arrangements. Oyamo admitted he didn’t use his own M-Pesa account to send the money, lacking sufficient funds and his national ID when he attempted to make the deposit.

In a telling detail that underscores the secretive operations, an M-Pesa attendant instead deposited the funds into her own account and forwarded the money to Sharon through the protected witness XYZ.

Sharon and XYZ traveled to Nairobi together, while Lawrence Mullah, who missed the flight, was advised by Oyamo to travel independently with assurance of reimbursement.

All three were meant to meet with Obado, who was in the capital for official engagements.

This meeting, intended to resolve the mediation crisis that Mbadi had helped establish, instead set in motion the events that would lead to Sharon’s brutal murder on the night of September 3-4, 2018.

For Mbadi, who is now one of President William Ruto’s key Cabinet Secretaries, the revelation represents an uncomfortable reminder of his inadvertent role in a case that shocked the nation.

His attempt to help resolve a delicate situation through traditional mediation appears to have instead created additional complications that may have contributed to the tragic outcome.

The testimony suggests that Mbadi’s involvement was well-intentioned, aimed at finding a peaceful resolution to protect both Sharon’s welfare and Obado’s political reputation.

However, the complex mediation structure he established ultimately became another source of conflict in an already volatile situation.

As the trial continues, with Obado having already admitted to the extramarital affair and accepting paternity of Sharon’s unborn child while denying any involvement in her murder, the detailed testimony about the final days reveals how Mbadi’s mediation structure became inextricably linked to the tragic sequence of events.

Oyamo’s admission that he facilitated Sharon’s travel to what would become her final meeting adds another layer to the complex web of relationships and financial arrangements that the Treasury CS had helped establish.

The case resumes with continued defense testimony, as the three accused men face potential death sentences if convicted for the murder of Sharon Otieno and her unborn child.