A Kenyan court has handed a 50-year prison sentence to Jacktone Odhiambo, convicted of murdering LGBTQ activist Edwin Kiptoo nearly two years ago.
Kiptoo, whose death in early 2023 shocked Kenya’s LGBTQ community, was found dead in a metal box in Eldoret, a city in the country’s west.
Odhiambo, believed by police to have been in a relationship with Kiptoo, was found guilty of murder earlier this month. “Yes, my client has been sentenced to 50 years’ imprisonment. At the moment, I have not received any instructions to appeal,” said Sammy Mathai, Odhiambo’s lawyer, on Monday.
Odhiambo denied the charges when he was first arraigned in February 2023.
Homosexuality remains highly stigmatized in Kenya, where gay sex is criminalized and carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison, though the law is rarely enforced.
