Kenyan LGBTQ Activist - Edwin Chiloba Buried While An Investigation Continues
Edwin Chiloba, a Kenyan LGBTQ activist who was killed in a shocking murder, was laid to rest in his hometown. Hundreds of people gathered in the western Kenyan community of Sergoit to pay their condolences at the plot of land he was destined to inherit.
The family's representative, Gaudencia Tanui, expressed dismay to the BBC over the homophobic comments made towards Chiloba's family members online. According to her, it had caused a lot of pain for the whole family.
Hatred, Ms. Tanui said, should not obscure the fact that a crime had been committed and that justice must be done.
LGBTQ activist, fashionista Edwin Kiprotich Chiloba's body arrives at his Sergoit village for burial
Murder Of Kenyan LGBTQ Activist
COPYRIGHT_SZ: Published on https://stationzilla.com/kenyan-lgbtq-activist/ by Alexander McCaslin on 2023-01-19T03:00:14.536Z
The leading government pathologist, Johansen Oduor, concluded last week that Chiloba had died from asphyxiation.
The body of Chiloba, who had apparently been dropped from a moving automobile, was found some 40 kilometers (25 miles) outside the Rift Valley town of Eldoret.
Some speculated that the murder was motivated by prejudice towards Kenya's outspoken LGBTQ population, who have been the target of verbal and physical abuse in recent years.
Human rights organizations have linked his death to his sexuality, which has garnered widespread international criticism. Nonetheless, the authorities have not done so and have not provided a possible explanation for the murder.
Reports indicate that freelance photographer Jacktone Odhiambo, a former girlfriend of Chiloba's, is the main suspect in his murder. Odhiambo is now in police custody, along with four other individuals.
LGBTQ rights activists have decried Chiloba's murder and demanded more be done to safeguard his group.
Murder Calls For Justice
Members of the Kenyan community and human rights organizations from across the world have spoken out against the brutal murder of Edwin Kiprotich Kipruto, also known as Edwin Chiloba, and demanded answers.
Sergoit is a settlement in Elgeyo Marakwet county, some 300 kilometers (190 miles) northwest of Nairobi. Hundreds of people gathered to his parents' house.
Since his death, the 25-year-old model and fashion designer has been the focus of internet vitriol, which brought many of his loved ones to tears as they paid tribute to him.
High school friend Joel Onteri has made a plea for the slander against Chiloba to stop.
“„Despite all that is being said, Chiloba has a family and those close to him. If we continue mocking him on social media, the family is being stigmatised.
- Joel Onteri
“„Let's leave judgement to God.
- Joel Onteri
His name was the most discussed topic in Kenya on Twitter, where others made similar claims.
“„Today, a peaceful person is buried. Rest in Power Edwin Chiloba. Salute your courage to authentically live your life.
- Irungu Houghton, Amnesty International's Kenya branch
“„May your love for life inspire all who now know you. Deepest condolences again to family, friends + the LGBTIQ+ community.
- Irungu Houghton, Amnesty International's Kenya branch
Suspects Arrested
Media outlets reported on Sunday that more individuals had been detained in connection with the murder of LGBTQ activist Edwin Chiloba, whose mangled body was discovered on the side of the road and placed into a metal trunk.
On Friday, police said that they had detained a freelance photographer who was reportedly a close friend of the deceased, a 25-year-old who was a prominent activist in Kenya's LGBTQ community and a model and fashion designer.
Three more people were reportedly arrested on Saturday for their possible involvement in the disposal of his remains, according to media sources citing police authorities.
After Chiloba's murder in the Rift Valley in western Kenya, advocates for human rights have called for more measures to safeguard members of the LGBTQ community.
Final Words
Kenya, like much of Africa, has a strict societal stigma against homosexuality. Despite calls for repealing the country's anti-gay laws, which date back to the time of British colonial rule, being caught engaging in homosexual relations in Kenya can result in a jail sentence of up to 14 years.
Chiloba's murder followed the unsolved killings of numerous other campaigners for the rights of sexual minorities, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
