This archive report was first published on 18 December 2019.
On December 18, 2019, the High Court blocked lawyer George Wajackoyah from representing the family of Sharon Otieno in her murder case.
Justice Ngenye Macharia ruled that Prof Wajackoyah had a conflict of interest, which could compromise the fairness of the trial.
Migori Governor Okoth Obado, who is charged alongside two others with the murder of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno and her unborn child, had accused Prof Wajackoyah of representing two parties with conflicting positions.
According to court records, on September 23, 2018, when Obado was in police custody at Gigiri Police Station, Prof Wajackoyah sought and obtained instructions from the governor.
The lawyer had persuaded the governor to share confidential correspondence between the DPP, the DCI, and himself, claiming he was doing consultancy work for the DPP and the DCI and had been granted clearance to represent him in the case.
However, the judge found that Prof Wajackoyah's actions created a conflict of interest, and he could potentially use private information to torment Obado and deny him a fair trial.
Justice Macharia asked the family of the victim to find another lawyer.
