---
title: "Kenyan man sentenced to 50 years in jail for killing LGBTQ activist"
description: "NAIROBI, Dec 17 (Reuters) - A Kenyan court has sentenced a man to 50 years in prison after he was convicted of the murder of gay rights activist Edwin Kiptoo nearly two years ago."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "LGBTQIA+"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-12-17-kenyan-man-sentenced-to-50-years-in-jail-for-killing-lgbtq-activist/"
published: "2024-12-17T12:22:05"
updated: "2024-12-17T12:22:06"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 129
---

# Kenyan man sentenced to 50 years in jail for killing LGBTQ activist

> NAIROBI, Dec 17 (Reuters) - A Kenyan court has sentenced a man to 50 years in prison after he was convicted of the murder of gay rights activist Edwin Kiptoo nearly two years ago.

By Reuters · Published 17 December 2024, 14:22 SAST · Updated 17 December 2024, 14:22 SAST

## Key points
- In a chilling reminder that love can sometimes end in tragedy, Kiptoo's gruesome murder in a metal box has left Kenya's LGBTQ community reeling, while his housemate-turned-murderer now faces a hefty 50-year sentence—proof that in a country where homosexuality is taboo, the only thing more dangerous than love might just be the law.
- The murder of Kiptoo in early 2023 shocked Kenya's LGBTQ community, highlighting ongoing violence against marginalized groups.
- His body was discovered in a metal box in Eldoret, leading to the arrest of his housemate, Jacktone Odhiambo.
- Odhiambo was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 50 years in prison, with no current plans to appeal.
- Despite homosexuality being illegal in Kenya, societal stigma remains prevalent, complicating the fight for LGBTQ rights.

## Content

Kiptoo's killing in early 2023 sent shockwaves through the LGBTQ community in the conservative East African nation. His body was found in a metal box in the western city of Eldoret.

His housemate, Jacktone Odhiambo, who police believe had been in a relationship with him, was [found guilty](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N3MX0AG&linkedFromStory=true) of murder early this month.

"Yes, my client has been sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment. At the moment I have not received any instructions to appeal," Odhiambo's lawyer Sammy Mathai told Reuters late on Monday.

Odhiambo had denied murdering Kiptoo when he was arraigned in early February 2023.

Homosexuality is taboo in Kenya and gay sex is punishable by 14 years in prison, although that law is rarely enforced.

(Reporting by Humphrey Malalo; Writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Michael Perry)