police in Kenya is investigating whether LGBTQ rights activist and fashion designer Edwin Chiloba was murdered in a hate crime.
The decomposing body of Chiloba, who spoke of being attacked before, was found in a roadside metal box near the town of Eldoret on Wednesday and identified a day later. A motorbike taxi driver said he saw a metal box being dumped by men in a car without a license plate. BBC.
Chiloba has spoken out about gay rights in Kenya, where sex between men is illegal and carries a penalty of 14 years in prison. The country’s LGBTQ community, largely persecuted, has spoken out against the killing. “Words can’t even explain how we as a community are feeling right now,” organization Galck+ posted on Twitter. “Another soul lost to hatred. You’ll miss.”
Police have not revealed how Chiloba was murdered or how long his body was in the box before the grim discovery. The last time he posted on his verified Instagram account was on December 29, when he wished his supporters happy holidays.
Many human rights groups in Kenya – where more than half of openly gay people have been assaulted – say Chiloba’s murder may have been politically motivated and related to his gender. “The murder itself was gruesome, but the callous way of disposing of his body made the situation even more dire! Edwin’s death reminds us that gay bodies continue to be attacked across the country,” the country’s Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission wrote on Instagram, calling the action “horrible.” disgusting”.
A police spokesman told local media Star that Chiloba was wearing what she describes as “women’s clothing” when his body was found, but the motive is unknown. “At the moment we don’t know why he was killed that way. Experts are working on this,” she said.
Several Kenyan gay rights activists have been murdered in recent years, including Sheila Lumumba, who was killed last year, transgender activist Erica Chandra and LGBTQ activist Joash Mosoti, both were killed in 2021.
