The hearing of the case against the prime suspect in the murder of LGBTQ activist Edwin Kipruto, also known as Chiloba, was adjourned by the High Court in Eldoret on Thursday. The Presiding Judge, Justice Reuben Nyakundi, who had been overseeing the matter, was absent from court due to a bereavement.
A total of twenty witnesses, including three high school students, the caretaker of the building where the deceased resided, and a taxi driver, had been lined up to provide testimony against the main suspect, Jacktone Odhiambo.
The late Chiloba was a fourth-year student at the University of Eldoret’s main campus, pursuing a degree in apparel fashion and design.
The accused, who is currently held at Eldoret GK remand prison, pleaded not guilty to the charge of killing Chiloba between December 31, 2022, and January 3, 2023. According to the charge sheet, Odhiambo allegedly committed the crime at Noble Breeze apartment in the Chebisas area of Moiben sub-county, Uasin Gishu County.
In February, the court released four suspects connected to the murder after the prosecution stated that it lacked sufficient evidence to charge them, following 21 days of court-approved investigations.
The body of the slain LGBTQ activist was discovered in a metallic box along the Kipkenyo-Kaptinga road in Uasin Gishu County on January 3. An autopsy conducted by a government pathologist revealed that Chiloba died from asphyxiation, caused by a lack of oxygen.
The case is scheduled for further hearings on July 20, August 3, and August 4, respectively.