Our hearts are broken: Edwin Chiloba’s adoptive parents mourn

Edwin Chiloba with his adoptive parents

Edwin Chiloba with his adoptive parents Peter Pfaltzgraff and his wife Ms Donna. The Pfaltzgraffs hail from the US and they frequent the country as preachers of the gospel.

Photo credit: Pool

The adoptive parents of Edwin Chiloba, a LGBTQ activist and model who was killed and lifeless body stuffed inside a metallic box in Uasin Gishu County, have spoken over the incident.

Mr Peter Pfaltzgraff and his wife Ms Donna, said that the death of Mr Chiloba had really affected them as they said that they loved him so much.

“Our hearts are broken tonight. Will give more details when we can share more. Please pray for us,” Ms Donna said.

On her official Facebook account, Mr Peter shared an image enjoying light moments with Mr Chiloba during his hey days and when they were together. The image was captured using the words, “Edwin we love you.”

The Pfaltzgraff family, which hails from the US, have been the spiritual parents of the deceased and they frequent the country as preachers of the gospel. They have been in the country since March 2022.

Nairobi News has established that they have adopted a number of young people who work with them on matters of Christianity.

They run a ministry known as Grace and Faith Family Ministry and according to them their message is that God loves all people.

LGBTQ activist Edwin Chiloba.

LGBTQ activist Edwin Chiloba.

Photo credit: Courtesy | Instagram

On Friday morning, the police confirmed that the deceased was indeed Mr Chiloba after he was positively identified by family and friends.

His body was staffed inside a metallic box along Kipenyo- Katinga Road in Uasin Gishu County and bodaboda riders say that they saw a vehicle, whose registration number was concealed, dump the box along the road, and they alerted the police.

When police opened the box, they found the man’s decomposing body.

"We don't know for now why he was killed that way. Experts are handling the matter," said police spokesperson Resila Onyango.

Gay sex in Kenya is punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Though it is rarely enforced, members of the country's LGBTQ community routinely face discrimination and stigma, and efforts to decriminalise gay sex have been thwarted.

Last year, the killing of non-binary lesbian Sheila Lumumba led to a social media campaign to get #JusticeForSheila.

There were similar campaigns in 2021 following the murders of trans-woman activist Erica Chandra and LGBTQ activist Joash Mosoti.

Chiloba’s body was taken to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, awaiting post-mortem to establish the cause of death.