LGBTQ activist killed by lover, lawyer tells court

The murder trial of fashion model and LGBTQ rights activist Edwin Kiprotich alias ‘Chiloba’ yesterday heard how the key suspect in his brutal killing went partying in various night clubs in Eldoret town using money from the deceased’s  mobile phone.

State Counsel Mark Mogun narrated to Eldoret High Court Judge Reuben Nyakundi during pre-trial hearing how the key suspect, Jacktone Odhiambo whom he said was lover to the slain gay activist killed him in his Noble Breeze Apartment in the outskirts of the town.

“Your honour, all circumstances points to the suspect as the main person who killed Edwin Kiprotich who was popularly known as Chiloba in his house where they were living together on the fateful night,” said Mogun.

Mogun told the Judge that by the time Odhiambo was being arrested after being linked to the heinous killing of the deceased who was also a former University of  Eldoret student by sleuths attached to the directorate of criminal investigations department, he was very drunk having partied the whole night courtesy of money from the deceased’s mobile phone.

His arrest, Mogun informed the court, followed the January 3, 2022 discovery of the decomposed body of Chiloba that was stashed in a metallic box and dumped in the Kapsaret area, some 20km from Eldoret town.

Prime suspect

He asked the Judge to give the verdict of death sentence against the prime suspect owing to the overwhelming crucial evidence they have against him over his indolent in the murder of Chiloba.

“This is a case of circumstantial evidence and we intend to bring 26 witnesses in the trial case since all evidence links the suspect to the brutal killing of the slain university student and fashion model,”

Mogun told the court.

The two, according to Mogun, had been living together as wife and husband for a year and that Chiloba had stayed at his house for three years alone before Odhiambo joined him in 2022.

Odhiambo who looked composed in the dock is accused of killing Chiloba between December 31, 2022 and January 3 at Noble Breeze

Apartment in Chebisas in the outskirts of Eldoret town.

The State Counsel said that they have lined up 26 key witnesses among them primary and secondary school learners, and homicide experts to give their evidence in chief against the suspect.

Odhiambo is represented by Mathai Maina while the victim’s family is represented by lawyer Gilbert Mitullah.

 While giving his statement in the packed court, Mathai defended Odhiambo saying that he had nothing to do with his murder as is alleged by the prosecution.

“Your honour, my client has a lot of friends who had grudges against him and used the sad incident to link him to the heinous killing of Chiloba who was his close friend,” argued Mathai.

Decomposed body

On his part, lawyer Mitullah told the court that he had no doubts that Odhiambo was the prime suspect in his client’s murder and asked the Judge to give him a death sentence due to evidence and accounts from various witnesses adduced by people who saw him and the deceased prior to the discovery of his decomposed body.

On January 4, Chiloba’s body was found stuffed in a metal box that had been dumped at a road near the western town of Eldoret where he lived.

Officers who found the box with Chiloba’s decomposing body described that he was wearing women’s clothes, and his body was later transported to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital to establish the cause of death. Reports later confirmed that Chiloba had been strangled and had passed away from asphyxiation.

Eight days later, government pathologist Johansen Oduor told journalists a post-mortem examination had found Chiloba died of asphyxia, with socks stuffed in his mouth and a piece of his jeans tied around his nose and mouth.

According to news reports, three of the released suspects were believed to have helped Odhiambo move Chiloba’s body from the victim’s house.

On Tuesday, January 31, a magistrate ordered all three to report to a police station every month for three months.

Chiloba’s case initially triggered a lot of outcry because the Kenyan government is largely conservative, and Chiloba’s enunciated gay rights activism may have stood out in stark contrast to the ways of the Kenyan government.

The judge scheduled hearing of the trial case on June 19, 20 and 21 when the learners will be given first priority to testify against the suspect.