The main suspect in the murder of LGBTQ activist and model Edwin Kiprotich Kiptoo, nicknamed Chiloba, has been detained by police in Eldoret. The suspect is a longstanding associate of the deceased called Jacktone Odhiambo, a freelance photographer based in Nairobi.
Edwin Chiloba’s roommate and friend, Jacktone Odhiambo, has been detained in Langas in connection with the murder of the LGBTQ model. ALLEGEDLY, he was observed carrying a metal box late at night and allegedly paid money to a caregiver on January 4 using Chiloba’s phone.
LGBTQ activist found dead
Edwin Chiloba, a young fashion designer and LGBTQ activist, was discovered dead on the side of the road in the town of Eldoret, and authorities in Kenya are currently investigating his murder.
Police have apprehended a suspect but have not revealed their motives. Rights organizations in Kenya, where homosexual relations is illegal, have linked the victim’s sexuality to the murder.
According to one organization, more than half of Kenya’s LGBTQ people have been abused. “Words alone cannot express how our community is feeling right now. Another life was taken by hatred.
“We’ll miss you,”
Investigation so far
On Wednesday, his body was discovered. According to a witness, someone left a metal box on the side of the road in a car without a license plate.
After being notified, the police went to open the box and discovered the corpse. “Right now, we have no idea why he was killed in that manner. “The situation is being handled by specialists,” police spokesperson Resila Onyango previously told The Star newspaper.
Later, she texted Reuters to say that one male suspect had been apprehended, “but the case is still under investigation.”
In Kenya, having homosexual relations can result in up to 14 years in jail. Members of the LGBTQ community face shame and prejudice on a regular basis, despite the fact that the legislation is rarely enforced and initiatives to decriminalize homosexual sex have been refused. The murder of non-binary lesbian Sheila Lumumba last year spurred the social media movement #JusticeForSheila.
Similar campaigns were launched in the aftermath of the murders of LGBTQ activist Joash Mosoti and transgender activist Erica Chandra in 2021.
What happened to Edwin Chiloba?
The two men wanted by police are said to have helped carry Chiloba’s body into a metal box before it was dumped in Halingham near Kipkaren.
According to Kimulwo, investigations indicated that the deceased seemed to have been strangled and had one eye gouged out. According to Peter Kimulwo, the DCI chief for Uasin Gishu county, the motivation for the homicide is yet unknown.
Kimulwo stated that on January 3, 2023, a chief informed police that a metal box had been abandoned on the side of the road in the Kipkaren district. Inside the metal box, residents discovered an adult body wrapped in a woman’s attire.
Because there were no identification documents, the body was transported to the MTRH morgue while investigations were conducted. Police examined a specific plot where they questioned tenants who indicated he stayed in room No. 11 near Noble Bliss Plaza since the victim lived in the Kimumu district. The deceased lived with two other persons.
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