Kenyan police arrested a suspect in connection with the death of LGBTQ rights activist Edwin Chiloba, whose body was found inside a metal box by the roadside near Eldoret town on Tuesday.
Chiloba was running his fashion business in the area.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and several other human rights groups, including the International Commission of Jurists Kenya section, have condemned the killing and called for a speedy investigation.
Although homosexuality is becoming more accepted in Kenya, it remains a taboo subject for many and the country’s film board has banned two films that portray gay lives in recent years.
Homosexuality is punishable by 14 years in prison in Kenya under a colonial-era law, although it is rarely enforced.
Discrimination against LGBTQ people is common.
“Chiloba’s death is a tragedy and an affront to human dignity and violation of the right to life #JusticeForChiloba,” it said on Twitter.
Resila Onyango, Kenya National Police Service’s spokesperson, said officers had arrested one person in connection with Chiloba’s death.
“Police arrested one male suspect in Eldoret on Friday. He is the main suspect but the matter is still under investigation,” she said in a text message to Reuters.
