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An Eldoret court heard yesterday how LGBTQ activist Edwin Kiprotich Kiptoo alias Chiloba was tortured to death before his decomposed body was found in a metallic box dumped along Kipkenyo-Kaptinga road in Uasin Gishu County.

While tabling the outcome of his autopsy report on the cause of the deceased’s death, Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor said that three socks were stuffed in his mouth and a pair of a jeans trousers tied tightly around his mouth and nose.

“After I conducted a postmortem on the body of the deceased, I formed the opinion that the cause of death was asphyxia- lack of oxygen,” stated Oduor.

According to the pathologist, the 26-year old final year student who was pursuing a degree course in Apparel Fashion and Design at the University of Eldoret was brutally murdered.

The government pathologist was giving his evidence in a case in which Jackkton Odhiambo alias Lizer who is being held at Eldoret GK remand, is the main suspect in the killing of the LGBTQ activist.

Oduor told the Presiding Judge, Reuben Nyakundi that at the time he was conducting a postmortem at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Chiloba’s body was decomposing.

“The slain University of Eldoret student had three socks stuffed inside his mouth and the left leg of jeans trousers tightly tied around his mouth and nose to prevent him from breathing. He also suffered bruises on the inside and upper and lower lips and on the left side of the tongue,” said Oduor.

The pathologist further told the court that the deceased did not have any defense injuries on his body.

Testifying in the same matter, Corporal Mercy Kathure attached to the directorate of criminal investigations department Eldoret South police station recounted receiving information about a metallic box that had been dumped on the road on the morning of January 3, 2023.

Eye witnesses

She told the court that she drove to the scene accompanied by her colleagues to inspect the box since eye witnesses who had called the police had reported that a speeding Toyota fielder had dumped the box along Kipkenyo- Kaptinga road in Kapseret, Sub County.

Kathure narrated that after arriving at the scene she opened the huge metallic box, and found the deceased’s decomposing body which had no identification documents. “We then ferried the body to the Moi Teaching and Referral (MTRH) mortuary and booked it as unknown.

Kathure said that she later learned through social media that the body they had collected at the scene belonged to a famous LGBTQ activist Edwin Kiprotich Kiptoo alias Chiloba.

She said that they arrested Odhiambo who was the person of interest as he was last seen with the deceased at a popular club in Eldoret and was cohabiting with Chiloba.

Kathure stated that a taxi driver who had hired out the Toyota fielder car to Odhiambo was also arrested and two minors who had helped the accused load the box to the vehicle were also arrested, grilled and later released after offering to appear in court as state witnesses.

Odhiambo who is represented by lawyer Maina Maathai has denied killing Chiloba, who is said to have been his lover, in an incident that occurred between December 31, 2022 and January 3, 2023 at Noble Breeze Apartments in Chebisaas area within Moiben Sub County.