Kenyan police discovered the body of a prominent LGBTQIA+ rights activist in a metal box in the west of the country, local media reported this Friday (6).
Motorcycle taxi drivers alerted police after seeing the box dumped on the side of the road by a vehicle with a concealed license plate, reported The Standard and The Daily Nation, citing police sources.
The remains of activist Edwin Chiloba were found on Tuesday near the town of Eldoret in Uasin Gishu county, where he ran his fashion business, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) said.
“He was brutally killed and dumped in the area by unknown assailants,” the KHRC said on Twitter.
“It is truly concerning that we continue to witness the escalation of violence against LGBTQIA+ Kenyans.”
Researchers suggest that acceptance of homosexuality is gradually increasing in Kenya, but it remains taboo for many. The country’s film board has banned two films for portraying gay life in recent years.
Kenya National Police Service spokeswoman Resila Onyango said she would comment later. Uasin Gishu County Commander Ayub Gitonga Ali declined to comment.
“Words cannot even explain how we as a community are feeling right now. Edwin Chiloba was a fighter, fighting tirelessly to change the hearts and minds of society when it comes to LGBTQIA+ lives,” GALCK, a Kenyan gay rights group, said on Twitter.
Under a British colonial-era law, gay sex in Kenya is punishable by 14 years in prison. It is rarely enforced, but discrimination is common.
Source: CNN Brasil
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