A Kenyan man who killed an LGBTQ activist was given a 50-year prison sentence

A Kenyan court found a man guilty of killing gay rights activist Edwin Kiptoo almost two years ago and sentenced him to 50 years in jail.

LGBTQ people in the conservative East African country were rocked by Kiptoo’s murder in early 2023. His remains were discovered in the western city of Eldoret, inside a metal box.

Early this month, his housemate, Jacktone Odhiambo, who the authorities suspect had dated him, was convicted of murder.

“My client has really received a sentence of fifty years in prison. Sammy Mathai, the attorney for Odhiambo, told Reuters late on Monday, “At this time, I have not been given any instructions to appeal.”

Upon his arraignment in early February 2023, Odhiambo denied killing Kiptoo.

Kenya has a taboo against homosexuality and a 14-year prison sentence for gay intercourse, though this ban is rarely implemented.