50 years in prison for the murder of Edwin Chiloba

After two years of a high-profile case, the High Court in Eldoret, Kenya, has delivered its verdict. She sentenced Jacktone Odhiambo to 50 years in prison for the brutal murder of Edwin Chiloba, a 25-year-old young LGBT+ activist and fashion designer.

This verdict, delivered on December 16, illustrates the vulnerability of LGBTQ+ people in a country where discrimination and prejudice remain omnipresent.

A chilling crime: the drama of a broken relationship

On January 4, 2023, the mutilated body of Edwin Chiloba was found in an abandoned metal box on the side of a road in the Rift Valley. The investigation reveals a macabre scene. Chiloba had been suffocated with a piece of jeans and socks stuffed into his mouth. Traces of DNA incriminating Jacktone Odhiambo, her roommate and supposed lover, were discovered on the body.

According to Justice Reuben Nyakundi, the murder was meticulously planned. Witnesses say they heard an argument between the two men before Odhiambo carried the metal box containing the body. This heartbreaking betrayal raises a question: how could an intimate relationship end in such tragedy?

An exemplary sentence for a “diabolical” act

The sentence of 50 years in prison, described as “proportional to the cruelty of the crime” by the judge, aims to do justice to the memory of Chiloba. However, the victim’s family remains searching for answers. Why did a trusted relative commit such an atrocious act? Odhiambo, who still denies the facts despite overwhelming evidence, has the right to appeal. But the lack of remorse and the violence of the murder leave little room for clemency.

Homophobia at the heart of the debate

The Chiloba case has sparked international reactions to the difficult conditions for LGBTQ+ people in Kenya. In this conservative, predominantly Christian society, homosexual relations are not only taboo, but also illegal, punishable by 14 years of imprisonment.