Man Convicted Of Murdering Non-Binary Lesbian In Kenya Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison

A Kenyan court has sentenced a man convicted of murdering a non-binary lesbian person to 30 years in prison.

Authorities had previously found Sheila Lumumba’s body in their home in Karatina, a town in Nyeri County, on April 17, 2022. Authorities said Lumumba had been raped before their murder.

The Nyeri High Court on Dec. 19 sentenced Billington Wambui Mwathi in connection with Lumumba’s murder, according to ‘Washington Blade’.

Three Kenyan advocacy groups — the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, galck+ and the Initiative for Equality and Non Discrimination — in a statement criticised the sentence.

Image Credit: Canva

“We express profound disappointment as the sentence falls tragically short of the justice Sheila deserves and the severity of the crimes committed,” it reads. “Sheila Lumumba’s murder on April 17, 2022, represented not only a heinous act of violence against an individual, but also an attack on the dignity and safety of the LGBTIQ+ community.”

“The leniency of this sentence sends a disconcerting message regarding the value placed on the lives of LGBTIQ+ individuals in our society,” adds the statement.

Read related myGwork articles here:

Kenyan Supreme Court Dismisses Challenge to Ruling that Allowed LGBTQ+ Group to Register

No Amount Of Money Will Push Us To Legalise LGBTQ+ In Kenya, Says Dorcas Rigathi

Kenya Rights Org Sues Over Anti-LGBTQ+ Protests

Intersex Kenyans See Significant Gains Since Landmark Law Took Effect