Freelance Photographer Convicted for Murder of LGBTQ Activist Edwin Chiloba
The High Court in Eldoret has convicted freelance photographer Jacktone Odhiambo, alias Lizer, for the brutal murder of LGBTQ activist Edwin Kiptoo Chiloba. Justice Reuben Nyakundi, delivering the ruling, confirmed that the prosecution had successfully proven its case against Odhiambo, who will now face sentencing on December 16.
Odhiambo had denied the charges, which allege that he killed Chiloba between December 31, 2022, and January 3, 2023, at Noble Breeze Apartment in the Chebisaas area of Uasin Gishu County. However, Nyakundi highlighted that both forensic evidence, including DNA tests, and witness testimonies linked Odhiambo to the crime. Forensic investigations also revealed that Odhiambo and Chiloba had been in an intimate relationship prior to the murder.
The body of the 25-year-old LGBTQ activist was discovered on January 3, 2023, in a decomposing state, dumped in a metallic box along the Kipkenyo-Kaptinga road in Kapseret Sub County, approximately 10 kilometers from Eldoret town. The gruesome discovery shocked the nation and brought attention to the increasing violence faced by members of the LGBTQ community.
In his ruling, Justice Nyakundi emphasized that the evidence presented during the trial left no doubt regarding Odhiambo’s involvement in the crime. The case has been closely followed due to its implications for both LGBTQ rights and the fight against gender-based violence in Kenya.
Odhiambo will now await sentencing on December 16, as the court considers the gravity of the crime.
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