Kenya Insights

Tag: Governor Okoth Obado

  • Obado’s Sh235 Million Deal With The State Exposed: Justice or Betrayal?

    Obado’s Sh235 Million Deal With The State Exposed: Justice or Betrayal?

    In a stunning turn of events, the Kenyan government has dropped a staggering Sh1.9 billion asset forfeiture case against former Migori Governor Okoth Obado and his associates, settling instead for a mere Sh235 million.

    This controversial decision revealed in a consent filed before Justice Esther Maina, has sparked outrage and disbelief across the country.

    Obado's Sh235 Million Deal

    So the state dropped its Sh1.9bn case for Obado’s Sh235 Million Deal?

    The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) disclosed that they opted to resolve the case out of court, citing a settlement agreement dated June 5, 2024.

    According to EACC lawyer Jackie Kibogy, this agreement absolves Obado, his four children, businessman Jared Peter Oluoch Kwaga, and associated firms from facing trial for alleged financial impropriety amounting to Sh1.9 billion and an additional Sh73 million linked to unexplained wealth.

    What the Deal Includes

    Under the terms of the settlement, Obado and his co-accused are relinquishing significant assets.

    These assets reportedly include a house in Loresho valued at Sh40 million, a commercial property known as Sunrise Centre, and residential blocks in Suna East worth a combined Sh137.6 million.

    Furthermore, they are surrendering two Toyota Land Cruiser V8 vehicles and several other properties, all valued at Sh235.6 million.

    These assets are slated for public auction, ostensibly to recover a fraction of the funds allegedly misappropriated.

    Public Outcry and Judicial Scrutiny

    The decision has prompted severe criticism from various quarters, questioning the rationale behind accepting a settlement representing only a fraction of the alleged misappropriated amount.

    Judge Esther Maina expressed skepticism herself, asking EACC’s legal counsel to justify why they settled such a significant case involving billions for just Sh235 million.

    Political Ramifications

    Given Obado’s political influence and the scale of the allegations against him, the settlement raises serious concerns about the integrity of Kenya’s anti-corruption efforts.

    Critics argue that allowing such a deal not only undermines the pursuit of justice but also sends a disheartening message to the public about the state’s commitment to fighting corruption at the highest levels.

    Obado’s Sh235 Million Deal: Legal and Ethical Implications

    From a legal standpoint, the abrupt resolution of the case without a full trial deprives the public of transparency and accountability.

    It raises questions about whether justice truly served or if powerful individuals can negotiate their way out of accountability, potentially at the expense of taxpayers.

    The Role of EACC

    The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, tasked with safeguarding public resources and prosecuting graft, faces scrutiny for its handling of the case.

    Critics argue that the decision to settle for Sh235 million appears lenient compared to the severity of the allegations, suggesting a potential lapse in diligence or perhaps even external pressures influencing the outcome.

    Wrapping Up

    As Kenya grapples with endemic corruption and struggles to restore public trust in its institutions, the handling of high-profile cases like Obado’s becomes emblematic.

    The Sh235 million settlement has cast a shadow over the efficacy of anti-corruption efforts and the integrity of the judiciary.

    Moving forward, transparency, accountability, and a commitment to upholding the rule of law are paramount if Kenya is to overcome the scourge of corruption that continues to undermine its progress.

    In summary, the Sh235 million deal to drop the Sh1.9 billion case against Okoth Obado and associates raises serious questions about justice, fairness, and the effectiveness of Kenya’s anti-corruption strategies.

    The repercussions of this controversial decision will undoubtedly reverberate through the corridors of power and the hearts of the Kenyan public for years to come.

  • Not Again! Governor Obado Caught Up In Another Scandal

    Not Again! Governor Obado Caught Up In Another Scandal

    Migori Governor Okoth Obado has again been implicated in a scandal involving the alleged grabbing of land belonging to a family that legally bought the land from his late father. Governor Obado is not new to being linked to scandals that have shocked the nation. In 2018, the killing of a young woman Sharon Otieno and her unborn child hit the headlines and after investigations Governor Obado and his accomplices were charged with her murder.

    In 2020, Governor Obado was also charged alongside his four children; Dan Okoth, Everlyne Okoth, Scarlet Okoth and Jerry Okoth with embezzling of over 70 million shillings stolen from county coffers. Both cases are still ongoing in court. In this recent allegations Obado is said to be grabbing land from Tom Otieno’s family that had been purchased from his late father in 1976. 
    According to court documents seen by AmKenyan and interviews with neighbors who have been following the going ons on the piece of land for the last four decades, Tom Otieno’s family have undergone untold suffering and struggles at the hands of Obado and his family members who are hellbent on grabbing this land that once belonged to their father from its current lawful owners who own legally issued title deed of the 6 acre piece of land.

    According to court papers, the land title deed number Kanyamkago/KATIENO/133 was issued in the name of Tom Otieno having been legally processed as required in law and payment of all agreed amounts on the sale agreement done.

    Image source

    It did not take long before Obado’s family started infringing on not just Tom’s land but also a host of other buyers that had legally acquired land within the area.

    Following these repeated attempts at grabbing this land over the years Tom Otieno sued Obado and his father in 2015 in an attempt to stop them from forcefully acquiring the land that no longer belongs to them.

    During the court process governor Obado’s father passed away. Tom Otieno proceeded to sue governor Obado’s brothers Daudi Okto Obado, John Odongo Obado, and Samson Obado who repeatedly continued to frustrate and threaten his family in an attempt to evict them from the land.
    The case, PMCC No 229, was filed in the Migori Senior Magistrates Court, seeking orders to restrain the Obado family from any interference and trespass on the said piece of land. The case has since suffered lengthy delays and postponement to great personal and material cost for Tom Otieno and his family.

    In the last week a truck ferrying construction material forced its way onto the land and started prepping the piece of land to start building a house that allegedly belongs to one of governor Obado’s sons. This is in full knowledge of the court order restraining the Obado family from accessing the said piece of land.

    ‘’This shameful and arrogant behavior of corrupt politicians openly harassing and bullying civilians must be stopped and exposed. The open disregard of the rule of law by people in power must be condemned’’ said a concerned neighbor.

    ‘’The harassment the family of Tom Otieno has received on their own legally acquired land is both unfortunate and regrettable,’’ added another neighbor.  
    It must be noted that this is not the first time the Obado family has been implicated in land grabbing. In 2014, Jane Agona an 80 year old widow in Rongo appealed for governments intervention after governor Obado allegedly sent goons to demolish her house and proceeded to erect a fence and start construction on this widow’s land leaving her out in the cold.

     

  • Obado Stole Sh2.6B In His First Term, Court Told

    Obado Stole Sh2.6B In His First Term, Court Told

    Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) now claims Migori Governor Okoth Obado looted Sh2.6 billion from the county government coffers during his first term in office.

    The details emerged yesterday before the Anti-Corruption Court when the Commission through its investigator Robert Ronoh, who was testifying in the graft case facing the governor, his four children and 11 associates presented its case.

    During his testimony, the officer said the Commission in 2017 received a complaint from an unnamed informant over misappropriation of funds amounting to Sh2.6 billion paid to 23 companies. However, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has charged the county boss with embezzlement of Sh73.4 million.

    “We received information from the intelligence department of the EACC that there was misappropriation of public money at Migori county government where by companies that are associated with Obado family members were awarded tenders to the tune of Sh2.6 billion between the financial year 2013-2014 to 2016-2017,” Ronoh said.

    Trial magistrate Lawrence Mugambi heard that following the huge amount of money involved, the complaint was forwarded to the commission intelligence for further investigation and action.

    The investigating officer claimed the 23 companies of interest were registered a few months after the 2013 General Election when Obado was elected as governor.

    Ronoh said the companies are linked to family, friends and close associates of the governor. The officer told the court that the governor and his proxies benefitted from Sh2.6 million from 23 trading companies which were awarded various tenders by the county government of Migori.

    Being led in his evidence-in-chief by State Counsel Eva Kanyuira, Ronoh informed the court that seven of the companies are associated with businessman Jared Peter Kwaga, an associate of governor Obado.

    Safety

    He took the court through a payment schedule listing the companies in questions and amounts each received from the county government which was generated from the Integrated Financial Management System( IMFS) during initial investigations in the matter.

    The court heard that among the 23 firms that received the billions of shillings included Atinus Services whch is associated with the seventh accused person Kagwa which received Sh122,819,987 for the period between December 17, 2014 and May 15, 2017.

    Ronoh told the court that their efforts to gather documentary evidence in the graft case were frustrated by the County Secretary Christopher Rusana, who delayed in supplying the request for the documentary evidence. He said the investigations narrowed down on several companies to proceed with speed and focus on specific companies that were related to Kwaga which were owned by him, his boss, brothers, mother, and sister in law. However, the officer was stood down after the defence team objected to have him produce in court some documents on how the firms were incorporated.

    Defence lawyers led by Kioko Kilukumi and George Kithi opposed to Ronoh documents saying that the they do not have the same. This prompted the magistrate to postpone the case to Tuesday next week and order the defence lawyers to file a formal application on the issue of documents.

  • Here’s Why Governor Obado’s Murder Case Won’t Be Streamed On TV As It Resumes

    Here’s Why Governor Obado’s Murder Case Won’t Be Streamed On TV As It Resumes

    The hearing of a murder case against Migori Governor Okoth Obado resumed Monday at the Milimani law courts.  

    According to reports from the corridors of justice, the trial proceedings are being held in camera to allow some key witnesses under protection to give their testimony.

    Obado who was in a relationship with 26 year old Rongo university student Sharon Otieno and the father of the unborn child is the main suspect in the murder trial.

    He is charged alongside his personal assistant Michael Oyamo and Casper Obiero, a clerk in Migori County with killing Ms Otieno and her unborn child on September 3, 2018, at Owade in Rachuonyo subcounty, Homa Bay county.

    They denied the charges before Justice Jessie Lesiit and in November 2018 the governor was released on a cash bail of Sh5 million with two sureties of same amount.

    Hearings open court

    Public hearings kicked off for four days on July 12, 2021 with Chief government Pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor, the first witness taking the stand.

    The proceedings are being held in private at Milimani courts

    Oduor confirmed that the university student died from severe hemorrhage, trauma and manual strangulation.

    A postmortem conducted on her body revealed that she was stabbed eight times, strangled and raped.

    Lilian Saka from the Department of the Criminal Investigation, DCI, also presented photographs to the court of how the bodies of the late Sharon and her unborn baby were allegedly discovered at the Kodera forest, in Homabay County.

    So far, six witnesses from the 35 lined up by the State have given evidence.

    Obado’s defence is led by Senior Counsel Kioko Kilukumi.

    Three years later, Sharon’s family is confident that justice will be served. Her mother Melida Auma who has joined politics and has set her eyes on the Homa Bay Town West ward seat on United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket is happy with the progress of the case.

  • Evelyn Obado secretly employed at Migori level 4 Hospital

    Evelyn Obado secretly employed at Migori level 4 Hospital

    The employment of Migori Governor Okoth Obado’s daughter at the County’s Level 4 Referral Hospital has sparked public outcry with the locals calling for Ethic and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) to probe the matter. Evelyn Adhiambo Obado who is facing a Sh73.5 million corruption case was secretly employed at the facility three months ago where she has been working in silence until Covid-19 cases spiraled in the region.

    Not much is known about her qualifications in the health sector but Evelyn together with her three siblings Dan Okoth, Susan Okoth, Jerry Okoth and their corrupt father, Okoth Obado were part of a cartel that stole Sh73.5 million from Migori county coffers.

    The secret employment of Ms Obado has exposed the former Awendo MP Jared Opiyo who chairs Migori county public service board. The former Mp is Obado’s ‘yes man’ who was compromised and arm-twisted to ensure that the governor’s daughter was employed.

    Evelyn Adhiambo Obado [p/courtesy]
    But Obado who is also facing charges of murder sees nothing wrong with his tainted daughter bagging the job. The troubled governor argues that the corruption cases they are facing are fabrications by his political rivals so his daughter remains innocent until proven guilty. Migori public service board CEO Martin Arondo also sided with the governor when he claimed that it is not within their jurisdiction to investigate the family and criminal background before clearing applicants for a job.

    “We rely on chapter 6 document to clear candidates for interviews and I believe if a daughter of the governor was interviewed and subsequently appointed, we were fully guided by her compliance with chapter 6 and section 65 of the county government Act, 2020.” he said.

    Arondo went on to defend the employment of the suspect as competitive and one that was overseen by an independent body. But pundits argue that the board went against its earlier position where it declined to renew Michael Oyamo’s contract.

    Oyamo served as Obado’s personal assistant until he became suspect in the brutal murder of Sharon Otieno in a case that is currently proceeding in court. The prosecution has lined up 37 witnesses to testify against governor Obado and Oyamo with the trial set to end on 15th of July.

  • UDA featuring in Obado succession schemes

    UDA featuring in Obado succession schemes

    Migori County Assembly Speaker Boaz Okoth is plotting a risky political move that may see him go for the county’s top seat on DP William Ruto’s UDA Party ticket. Boaz is allied to Governor Obado but is aware of the strained relationship between ODM party and the governor who is serving his second and final term.

    The speaker has also been at odds with ODM party since the flopped move to impeach governor Obado last year. The besieged speaker defied ODM party’s scheme to impeach Governor Obado despite intimidation, threats and assaults by ODM officials.

    Okoth accused ODM party secretary general Edwin Sifuna as one of the goons who were baying for his blood for frustrating the party efforts to Obado’s impeach Obado. The speaker said that a group of goons led by Sifuna stormed into his hotel room in Kisumu and attacked him together with his bodyguard who was later withdrawn.

    The botched impeachment was plotted after Obado and his four children were charged with Sh73 million in a move which his supporters blamed on the bad blood between the governor and the ODM party.

    United Democratic Alliance logo [p/courtesy]
    With the speaker’s supporters already expecting a shocking move, one of the options on Boaz’s table is to openly fly the UDA ticket or use an affiliate party like People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which Obado used in first term when he floored ODM candidate.

    Combined efforts of the governor and the speaker have given Raila a run for his money forcing the fierce opposition leader to raise a white flag like it played in Obado impeachment attempts.

    The honorable speaker has vowed to give his rivals a run for their money. In 2013 he went against the grain and won the North Kadem MCA seat on an Agano Party ticket.

    According to the speaker, Obado has built a strong foundation on development in Migori to allow an outsider to come in as a governor and disrupt. Obado has defied calls to endorse his successor but both Obado and the speaker have hinted at working on a political vehicle that will shock their opponents.