Jactone Odhiambo, the main suspect in the murder of LGBTQ activist and model Edwin chiloba has withdrawn his application for bail pending the murder trial.

PHOTO | COURTESY Edwin Chiloba

Odhiambo's lawyer Mathai Maina during a hearing informed High Court Judge Richard Nyakundi that his client had decided to suspend the bail application for the time being and that they would like to proceed to the pre-trial phase of the murder case.

However, Odhiambo has continued to deny that he is responsible for the brutal murder of the model edwin chiloba at an apartment they shared in eldoret. State Council Mark Mugun informed the judge that all parties, including the suspect, had received committal bundles for the offence and all seized material to present in court as evidence.

The body of edwin chiloba was stuffed in a metal box and discarded by the roadside in a market in uasin gishu country. The police who found the body thought it was that of a woman until it was removed from the metal box.

Odhiambo was arrested a few days later after the caretaker of the complex the two shared informed the police that jactone was seen carrying a similar metal box a few days before it was found dumped in a market.

PHOTO | COURTESY Edwin Chiloba

He was charged alongside four others who were later released due to insufficient evidence to prosecute them. jactone confessed to committing the murder citing the motive as lovers' quarrel over infidelity.

A government forensic pathologist later confirmed that chiloba died from suffocation after he found pieces of fabric stuffed in his mouth and nose and that he had no other injuries. Despite confessing to the crime, jactone continues to plead innocent.

The murder of edwin chiloba sparked outrage on social media and across international borders as it was assumed to be a hate crime. At the time of his death,chiloba was a fashion student at the university of eldoret.