The body of a young Kenyan model and fashion designer, who was also a vocal LGBTIQA+ rights activist, has been found by police after it was dumped in a metal box at the side of a road near the town of Eldoret on Wednesday.
Police were alerted to the box being dumped by a witness who said it was dropped off by a vehicle with a concealed number plate. Inside they found the body of Edwin Chiloba. Police say his body had been mutilated.
Police have arrested 24-year-old Jackton Odhiambo, a freelance fashion photographer from Nairobi, but are yet to disclose a motive for the killing.
Local media have reported that the two men were previously sharing a house together but had recently moved out of the property.
Gay sex is illegal in Kenya and punishable by 14 years imprisonment, but prosecutions are rare. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Kenyans however face discrimination and stigma in the conservative country.
Initially there was concern that Chiloba’s death may have been a hate crime, as the young man was allegedly assaulted over his sexuality just four months ago.
One local rights group, galck+ (previously the Gay and Lesbian Coaltion of Kenya) has estimated that more than half of the country’s LGBTIQA+ population have experienced physical assault.
Advocacy Group, The National Gay and Lesbian Rights Commission of Kenya, paid tribute to Chiloba’s efforts to combat discrimination.
“Edwin was a loved and valued member of his community who used the platforms available to him to fight for what was right! This loathsome act comes as a blow to the LGBTIQ+ community and leaves us all reeling from shock!” the group posted to Twitter.
“The murder itself was terrible, but the callous way his body was discarded makes the situation all the more mortifying! Edwin’s death reminds us that queer bodies continue to be under attack all over the country.”
OIP Staff
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