Kenyan gets 50 years in prison for murder of LGBTQ+ activist

Kenyan photographer Jacktone Odhiambo has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for the murder of his housemate, LGBTQ+ activist Edwin Kiprotich Kipruto, better known as Edwin Chiloba, nearly two years ago.

Judge Reuben Nyakundi said the decades-old conviction was based on the “satanic method” of the murder.

Chiloba, 25 year old fashion designer, She was strangled to death and her body was thrown into a metal box Roadside in Eldoret.

The murder shocked the LGBTQ+ community in Kenya.

Justice Nyakundi said 25-year-old Odhiambo showed no remorse for the murder.

However, after the sentence was read, Odhiambo caused a stir in the courtroom by falling and crying.

“I considered all the factors and found that Odhiambo was a vengeful man who murdered his close friend,” the judge said.

Chiloba and Odhiambo lived near the University of Eldoret where Chiloba was a student. There were some reports that the two men were in a relationship.

The prosecution, led by Mark Mugun, told the court that Odhiambo embezzled the worker’s money after killing him.

The prosecution also presented evidence from 23 witnesses, including DNA tests linking Odhiambo to the crime scene.

Chiloba’s body was found with socks stuffed in his mouth and a piece of denim tied over his face.

The post-mortem revealed that she died of asphyxia, caused by strangulation.

Evidence also showed that the suspect had sexually assaulted Chiloba before taking her life.

There was speculation that it was a case of intimate partner murder but the court did not draw any conclusions about the motive for the murder.