Two High School Students were arrested on Sunday, January 8, in connection to the murder of LGBTQ activist Edwin Chiloba.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, police spokesperson Resila Atieno affirmed that the two students, flanked by a 19-year-old, assisted the prime suspect, Jackton Omondi, in moving the metal box to the scene of the vehicle.
The vehicle, identified as a Toyota Fielder, used in ferrying the box, was also detained. The three suspects were arrested by detectives drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Eldoret South.
"Police officers from DCI Eldoret South have today arrested the suspects: a schoolboy aged 17-year-old, a 19-year-old man, and another male high school student. In the child's best interest, their names and the names of schools are omitted here.
"The three assisted the main suspect Jacktone Omondi in carrying the box moving it from the scene to the vehicle make Toyota Fielder. The vehicle is detained and suspects are in police custody," Atieno stated.
Preliminary reports indicated that the victim's eyes were gouged, and he died of strangulation. According to Peter Kimulwa, a Uasin Gishu County Directorate of Criminal Investigations officer, the crime was treated as a suspected love triangle turned fatal.
"Apart from the eyes being gouged out, there were no physical injuries on the body, suggesting that the victim might have died out of choking,” he stated.
Odhiambo reportedly confessed to committing the crime after discovering that Chiloba was in an affair with another partner.
According to neighbours, Chiloba and his friend were involved in a quarrel at their shared apartment in Eldoret. The victim's body was later found in a metal box filled with women's clothing.
In addition, Alex Nyamwea, a caretaker of the premises where the two lived, affirmed that Odhiambo kept using the victim's phone number.
"He called using Chiloba's number and heard his friend's voice. I used to believe the two were brothers. They have lived together for over a year," Nyamwea noted.
