Kenya’s LGBT Community in Mourning After Brutal Murder of Activist Edwin Chiloba

Kenya’s LGBT community is in mourning following the brutal murder of one of its most prominent activists, Edwin Chiloba.

According to NBC News: Kenyan police discovered the body of Chiloba, a prominent LGBTQ rights campaigner stuffed inside a metal box in the west of the country, on Friday.

Motorbike taxi riders alerted police after they saw the box dumped by the roadside from a vehicle with a concealed number plate, The Standard and The Daily Nation newspapers reported, quoting police sources.

Chiloba’s remains were found on Tuesday near Eldoret town in Uasin Gishu county, where he ran his fashion business, independent rights group the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) said.

“He was brutally killed & dumped in the area by unknown assailants,” KHRC said on Twitter. “It is truly worrisome that we continue to witness escalation in violence targeting LGBTQ+ Kenyans.”

On Tuesday, the body of Edwin Chiloba was found in Kapseret, Uasin Gishu county after he was brutally killed & dumped in the area by unknown assailants.

It is truly worrisome that we continue to witness escalation in violence targeting LGBTQ+ Kenyans.#JusticeForEdwinChiloba pic.twitter.com/CZLuD5Khb8

— KHRC (@thekhrc) January 6, 2023

Research suggests acceptance of homosexuality is gradually increasing in Kenya, but it remains a taboo subject for many. The country’s film board has banned two films for their portrayals of gay lives in recent years.