A pathologist has revealed the most recent details of a murder that has angered the public: Kenyan LGBT activist Edwin Chiloba was smothered to death.
Johansen Oduor claimed that the man had socks shoved into his mouth and that a piece of denim from a pair of jeans was tied around his face.
The pathologist continued “He died from asphyxia, which is caused by smothering”.
Chiloba’s body was discovered last week in a metal box dumped by the side of the road not far from Eldoret, a town in western Kenya where he attended university.
The murder drew global condemnation, with human rights groups linking it to his sexuality.
But police have not done so, and have not yet given a motive for the murder.
Five people have been arrested in connection with the murder, including Chiloba’s long-time friend Jackton Odhiambo, who police have identified as the primary suspect.
A magistrate gave police permission on Monday to detain the five for a further 21 days, as they continue with their investigations.
The five have not yet been charged with any crime.
Dr Oduor, the chief government pathologist, said the postmortem also revealed that Chiloba’s nails were discolored, indicating that he died from a lack of oxygen.
Chiloba had not sustained any other injuries, Dr Odouor said, dismissing media reports that his eyes had been gouged out.
Tributes on social media described the activist, who was in his mid-20s, as “an amazing human” and an “iconic fashion designer”.
He had moved to Eldoret from the capital, Nairobi, in 2019 to study fashion and was beginning to make a name for himself in design, a friend said.
Last month Chiloba wrote on Instagram that he was “going to fight for all marginalised people”, saying that he himself had been marginalised.
Human rights groups have called on police to swiftly resolve his killing.
Source: BBC.com