Year Of Mourning: Edwin Chiloba, Jeff Mwathi, 3 Other Unresolved Deaths Of 2023

• Kenyans will remember 2023 as a year that was doted with painful moments that left many reeling in grief
• The tragic news of death started on the first day of the year when the body of LGBTQ activist Edwin Chiloba was found in a metallic box
• That would be followed by several other mysterious deaths, among them Jeff Mwathi, blogger Sniper, and the Shakahola massacre

The year 2023 will be remembered as one doted with grief and mourning in Kenya, marked by the untimely and highly publicised deaths of different young individuals.

One could easily say that signs were all over; it would be a bleak 12 months when the deaths started as early as the first week of January.

Edwin Chiloba

It began in Eldoret when the decomposing body of LGBTQ model Edwin Chiloba was discovered in Uasin Gishu county after unknown people dropped a metal box by the roadside.

According to area village elder Barnabas Cheruiyot, a boda boda rider spotted a numberless vehicle dropping the metal box along the Kipenyo-Kaptinga road and reported it to the police.

As officers worked round the clock to unravel the mystery, a video emerged of the model enjoying a night out with his friends moments before he was allegedly killed.

From the viral photo shared online, Chiloba's body was still dressed in the same attire he was spotted in while in the club partying on New Year's Eve.

Jeff Mwathi

On February 22, 2023, 23-year-old Jeff Mwathi tumbled to his death from the 10th floor of Mugithi singer DJ Fatxo's apartment along Kiambu Road.

The young interior designer and his friends had been partying at the entertainer's house when tragedy struck, making him a prime suspect in the death.

The hashtag #JusticeforJeff went viral, mounting pressure on the DCI who exhumed the body to undertake more investigations.

After weeks of waiting, Fatxo (Lawrence Njuguna) was vindicated from the allegations as he was not in the house when the youngster fell to his death.

Elizabeth Githinga

Weeks after Jeff's death, a female pastor identified as Elizabeth Githinga died in the house of Kikuyu gospel musician Mirugi Dishon.

The singer told the police that on Saturday, March 18, he left the woman washing clothes in his house and drove out to run errands.

On coming back, he found her hanging in one of the wardrobes and tried to save her life by rushing her to the hospital, but it was too late.

Investigations revealed that Mirugi was innocent, after which he announced that he had forgiven those who accused him of murder.

The Shakahola Massacre

It was also in 2023 that Kenya and the rest of the world learned of shallow graves with hundreds of bodies courtesy of a cult.

Dubbed The Shakahola Massacre, the death toll hit over 300 people after officers spent weeks exhuming bodies from the vast farm.

The man allegedly behind the horror story was Apostle Paul Mckenzie, who was accused of brainwashing hundreds of his followers to starve to death.

As of the time of filing this story, McKenzie is still in police custody, with many convinced that there could still be more bodies buried on his farm.

Daniel "Sniper" Muthiani

Just when the country thought it had seen enough deaths, Meru Blogger Daniel Muthiani, known as Sniper, was found dead.

Sniper's wife, Irene Kawira, told the media that the political activist left their Kabuiti home on December 2 at 8:30 pm after he received a call from an acquaintance suggesting a meeting.

After days of being reported missing, his body was found dumped in a river, after which a postmortem examination revealed that he was strangled.

Government pathologist Johansen Oduor confirmed that Sniper had fractured ribs and head injuries, and the marks on his neck showed signs of oxygen deprivation.

As relatives, friends, and the nation continue mourning the departed, questions remain high on who the real culprits behind some of the deaths are.

Some continue living in fear that the killers who are still walking on the streets could strike again in the near future.