Jacktone Odhiambo, former roommate and partner of Edwin Chiloba, was sentenced to 50 years in prison this Tuesday, December 16 by the court in Eldoret, Kenya, for the murder of the LGBTQ+ activist. Chiloba, a 25-year-old designer and model, was found dead in January 2023 in an abandoned trunk on the side of a road. The investigation revealed that he had been asphyxiated, had a sock stuffed in his mouth and a piece of jeans tied around his head. Although the victim’s family initially called for the death penalty, they called the sentence “fair but insufficient”.
An emblematic figure in the fight for the rights of sexual minorities in Kenya, Edwin Chiloba was recognized for his joie de vivre and his commitment to equality in a deeply conservative and predominantly Christian society. His murder, marked by extreme violence, aroused great emotion internationally.
However, the trial failed to elucidate certain crucial aspects, notably the motive for the crime. Although the relationship between Odhiambo and Chiloba was confirmed, authorities did not treat the case as domestic violence. Odhiambo, who pleaded not guilty, remained impassive throughout the hearings, refusing to express the slightest remorse, which reinforced the sense of injustice felt by the victim’s relatives.
This tragic murder has once again highlighted the systemic discrimination and vulnerability of LGBTQ+ people in Kenya, where homosexual relations remain criminalized, exposing this community to heavy sentences and violence often ignored by the authorities.
Despite the pain, those close to Edwin Chiloba hope that his death will become a force for social change. “The heterosexual community should support us, because we are all human”said a friend of the victim, calling for more tolerance and acceptance in a country where equality remains a daily struggle.
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