Police question Kenyan legislator over gruesome murder of university student

Migori Governor Okoth Obado. He has been adversely mentioned in the case. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

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Migori Governor Okoth Obado took himself to Kisumu criminal investigations offices after he was summoned by detectives looking into the matter.

A Kenyan legislator has reported to police for questioning over the murder of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno.
Migori Governor Okoth Obado took himself to Kisumu criminal investigations offices after he was summoned by detectives looking into the matter.
He arrived at the Kisumu regional police headquarter in his Toyota Land Cruiser and headed straight into regional office of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
The governor, who has been adversely mentioned in the case and whose personal assistant Michael Oyamo is on remand, is expected to record a statement.

According to sources familiar with the summons, Mr Obado is expected to tell the detective what he knows about the murder.
Mr Obado has avoided issuing media statements on the matter and has been speaking through his representatives.
At first, his spokesman Nicholas Anyuor was issuing statements on his behalf, saying the governor "shouldn't be dragged into such criminal schemes".

"Let police do the investigations and take necessary actions. Associating the governor with this incidence could be a political ploy meant to tarnish his name ," he told the Nation.

“Let the police do the investigations and take necessary actions,” he added.
Mr Anyuor went silent after DCI detectives said they were likely to summon him over the matter.
Later, Mr Obado sent his lawyer Cliff Ombeta and private pathologist Fredrick Otieno to witness the post-mortem on Ms Otieno's body at Rachuonyo Level 4 Hospital mortuary “to ensure nothing malicious goes on”.

“When you start hearing politicians start talking that the governor should be investigated and that they want him to be arrested because he is ultimately the master of the personal assistant (Michael Oyamo), you can see that there is intended malice," Mr Ombeta, who spoke to the Nation at the weekend on behalf of the governor, said..
"These are people speaking out of ignorance and without facts, but just because they want to sharpen their axes to fight him."
He added: “It is important then for a governor who has been adversely mentioned, falsely and without his side of the story not being taken, to have somebody to represent him so that nothing malicious goes on."
The lawyer said Mr Obado will defend himself at the right time.