Read More Atheist Republic Kenyan authorities are investigating the murder of an LGBTQ+ activist and fashion designer after his body was found stuffed in a metal box by the side of a road. This incident sparked outrage across the country and raised the question of gay rights in the African country.
According to media reports, the body of 25-year-old Edwin Chiloba, a fashion designer, model, and activist, was found on the roadside 25 miles (40 km) outside the town of Eldoret.
Some people are living the illusions of others, instead of living the truth of themselves. Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings #model #Fashionista pic.twitter.com/O3sW2yU6n9
— Edwin Chiloba (@EdwinKi59835611) September 22, 2020
After police spokesperson Resila Onyango told a Kenyan news outlet that the investigation was ongoing, Kenyan police said that they arrested a suspect.
Peter Kimulwo, the head of investigations at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) office in Eldoret, said, “we have a suspect in custody, and we are investigating his role in this murder.”
He also told reporters that authorities “are holding him as a prime suspect because there are leads pointing to him and others, but all these are subject to conclusive investigations.”
pic.twitter.com/ck00lbqx9G
— Substone Osoro (@Osoro_Ouko) January 6, 2023
Kimulwo added that the suspect was believed to be a longtime friend of Chiloba, and authorities are also searching for other suspects who were seen loading a metal box into a vehicle at Chiloba’s home. One police officer described Chiloba’s fate as a painful death.
Human rights activists and organizations, including Kenya’s human rights commission, called on the authorities to conduct swift investigations into the murder and punish the people behind the act.
“It is truly worrisome that we continue to witness escalation in violence targeting LGBTQ+ Kenyans,” the Kenyan human rights commission said in a statement. “Every day, the human rights of LGBTQ+ persons are being violated with little consequence for perpetrators.”
In a Tweet, the spokesperson for the state department, Ned Price, sent his condolences to the family and friends of Edwin Chiloba. He also called for full accountability for his death.
Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of prominent Kenyan LGBTQI+ community member Edwin Chiloba. We call for full accountability for his death.
— Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) January 6, 2023
Remembering his death and legacy, the Kenya LGBTQ Feminist Forum in western Kenya said that Chiloba used “fashion to deconstruct gender and advocate for the rights of the marginalized group.”
“We want to know as a community, as Kenyans, what happened to Edwin, why he was murdered, and who dropped his body at the scene.” Becky Mududa, the organization’s programs director, said.
The LGBTQ+ community in Kenya has faced a precarious existence, with members facing persecution and discrimination. They also experience harassment and violence in the conservative Christian-majority country. Like in many African countries, homosexuality is taboo and even against the law.
Several attempts to lift laws criminalizing homosexuality, many of which date back to the British colonial period, have been unsuccessful. Gay sex remains illegal, with penalties that include 14 years imprisonment.
*****UPDATE*****
Prime suspect, Jackton Odhiambo, has confessed to Chiloba’s murder. Odhiambo said he killed Chiloba, his housemate and sexual partner, in a rage after finding out that he was seeing another man. Odhiambo also told police that he had help disposing of his body. Authorities are seeking those two accomplices.