Kenyan Photographer Sentenced to 50 Years for Murder of LGBTQ+ Activist Edwin Chiloba

Jacktone Odhiambo was convicted of killing his housemate and suspected partner, with the case drawing global attention to LGBTQ+ rights in Kenya.

Edwin Chiloba, a 25-year-old LGBTQ+ activist and fashion designer, was murdered in January 2023, with his body found in a metal box near Eldoret, Kenya.
Jacktone Odhiambo, Chiloba's housemate and suspected partner, was sentenced to 50 years in prison after being found guilty of premeditated murder.
Evidence presented in court included DNA linking Odhiambo to the crime scene and testimony from 23 witnesses, though the court did not establish a clear motive.
The gruesome nature of the killing, which involved asphyxiation and sexual assault, shocked Kenya's LGBTQ+ community and drew international condemnation.
Homosexuality remains illegal in Kenya, and while the court ruled out a hate crime, activists have highlighted the broader discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in the country.