The murder of Kenyan LGBTQI model Edwin Chiloba More secret documents found in Joe Biden’s garage – the most important things in 6 points

On January 4, 2023, Kenyan model Edwin Kiprotich Kiptoo aka Edwin Chiloba passed away. He was murdered, packed in a metal box and dumped by the side of the road.

Videos posted on social media show the box lying open on the road near the western Kenyan town of Eldoret – and the body lying in the dust next to it.

The 25-year-old probably had to die because he was one of the most well-known LGBTQI activists in Kenya.

The murder

Chiloba died from lack of oxygen. There were three socks in his mouth and a pair of jeans wrapped around his face, pathologist Johansen Oduor said Wednesday after an autopsy. The body showed no injuries.

Oduor thereby indirectly denied a rumor circulating on social media that Chiloba’s eyes were gouged out.

Human rights groups around the world have linked the murder to Chiloba’s sexual orientation, as he was homosexual. The UN Human Rights Commissioner, Volker Türk, was “shocked” by the young man’s death on Saturday.

In Kenya itself, the police seem to assume a relationship drama. Five people have already been arrested in connection with the murder. Among those arrested is Jackone Odhiambo, Chiloba’s old friend.

According to a Langas police investigator, Odhiambo is believed to be the main perpetrator in the Chiloba murder case: “They were a couple and lived together. It was betrayal by one of them.” In court, Odhiambo and the other suspects denied having anything to do with the murder.

Videos show Chiloba celebrating in a club shortly before his death. Police said they still need time to evaluate the videos – and the car in which the body was likely transported had not yet been examined by the coroner.

The emerging designer and activist

In various media, the Pfaltzgraff couple from the US are referred to as Chiloba’s “spiritual adoptive parents”. The missionaries are said to have supported Chiloba’s dreams of becoming a fashion designer.

Chiloba then also moved from Nairobi to Eldoret in 2019 where he studied fashion. From there he ran his own clothing brand called ChilobaDesigns. At the same time, he gained fame for his commitment to the Kenyan LGBTQI community.

Mary Lize Biubwa, a friend of Chiloba’s and co-founder of the LGBTQI human rights group Queer Republic, told the Washington Post that Chiloba has been attacked twice in the past year for his sexual orientation. Yet he was always “full of life”.

Last month, Chiloba wrote on Instagram that he will always fight for inclusion:

More LGBTQI killings in Kenya

Homosexuality is absolutely taboo in Kenya – as it is in much of Africa. Same-sex sex is punishable by up to 14 years in prison in predominantly conservative Christian Kenya.

As recently as May 2019, the Kenyan Supreme Court refused to repeal the discriminatory sections of the law. And this position is supported by Kenya’s political leadership: the recently elected president, William Ruto, has stated in interviews that homosexuality is not in line with Christian values. Although the law is rarely enforced, it contributes to a “climate of discrimination and violence,” according to Human Rights Watch.

Biubwa noted that she feared for the safety of Kenya’s entire LGBTQI community after the attack:

Chiloba’s murder is not Kenya’s first crime against an LGBTQI person to have sparked international outrage and upset Kenya’s queer community. At least three murders remain unsolved, namely those of Sheila Lumumba, Erica Chandra and Joash Mosoti. Like Chiloba, they all campaigned for the rights of sexual minorities.

Several human rights groups – including Amnesty International and the Kenya Human Rights Commission – have issued a joint statement urging Kenya to seriously investigate Chiloba’s murder and continue the unsolved killings.

The organizations write:

The judge who questioned the suspects in the Chiloba murder case ordered all five to be held until January 31. Then they have to go back to court.