Edwin Chiloba: Police make more arrests over brutal killing of Kenyan LGBTQ+ activist
LGBTQ+ activist, Edwin Chiloba. (Facebook)
Police have now arrested four people in relation to the murder of Kenyan LGBTQ+ activist Edwin Chiloba.
Chiloba’s body was found on Wednesday (4 January) in a metal box by a roadside. Preliminary investigations have shown his eyes had been gouged out before he was dumped.
On Saturday (7 January), a day after police detained Chiloba’s long-time friend Jackton Odhiambo – who has been described as the main suspect – officials arrested three more suspects.
Police have also seized the car thought to have been used to dump Chiloba’s body near the western town of Eldoret, according to the BBC.
Odhiambo has reportedly confessed to killing Chiloba with the help of two accomplices. It is reported he said the two were in a relationship, and that he killed the activist for allegedly betraying him in their relationship, Pulse Kenya reported.
Human rights groups have linked the activists killing to his sexuality, but police have not yet revealed the motive.
In December 2022 Chiloba posted on Instagram to state that he aimed to “fight for all marginalised people”.
The Kenyan Human Rights Commission has called Chiloba’s killing “reprehensible” and urged police to “conduct swift investigations and ensure the killers are apprehended and prosecuted”.
Amnesty International also called for “speedy investigations” into Chiloba’s murder, while people across the globe have taken to social media to remember the designer, with the hashtag #JusticeForEdwinChiloba being used by many.
In Kenya, LGBTQ+ people continue to face discrimination, and under its penal code that dates back to British colonial rule, same-sex sexual activity is criminalised carrying prison sentences of up to 14 years.
Human Rights Watch said such laws are rarely enforced, but the global organisation said the law contributes to a “climate of discrimination and violence” towards LGBTQ+ people.
