Lesbian Sheila Lumumba met her death in the most gruesome way and her peers think her killer was given a lenient sentence.
Billington Wambui Mwathi was found guilty of Sheila’s murder and the High Court in Nyeri handed him a 30-year prison sentence.
However, LGBTQ+ activists in Kenya expressed disappointment over the prison sentence handed down to Billington.
In a statement, Kenya’s National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) asserted that Mwathi’s 30-year sentence “falls tragically short of the justice Sheila deserves and the severity of the crime committed.”
The NGLHRC emphasised that Lumumba’s murder wasn’t just an isolated act of violence but an assault on the dignity and safety of the LGBTQ+ community.
“The leniency shown in this sentence sends a concerning message about the value placed on the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals in our society,” stated the NGLHRC.
“While we respect the judicial process, we cannot help but feel that this sentence does not adequately reflect the gravity of Mwathi’s actions or the irreparable loss experienced by Sheila’s family and the community.”
Sheila Adhiambo Lumumba was found dead in her house on April 14th 2022. It was reported that six men broke into her house in gang raped her.
Postmortem report confirmed that the lesbian was gang rapped before she was killed. The autopsy report also indicated that she was hit her on the head, stabbed in the neck and her leg broken.
The killers also gouged out her eyes before stealing a gas cylinder.
