An American couple, who are missionaries in Kenya, fostered former LQBTQ activist the late Edwin Kiptoo alias Chiloba and paid his fees at the University of Eldoret.
Peter Pfantzgraff told an Eldoret court that he was shocked and saddened to learn about the gruesome murder of his foster son in January this year.
He said he met Chiloba through Facebook and the two later met and developed a close relationship. He said Chiloba requested that he adopts them as his parents.
Pfantzgraff whose missionary work is based in Mumias Township said he accepted and had been paying Chiloba's school fees and upkeep at the university. Chiloba was taking a fashion and design course.
The foster father spoke when he testified before Justice Reuben Nyakundi, who is hearing the murder case against Jacktone Odhiambo.
The suspect is charged with murdering Chiloba between December 31 last year and January 3 this year in Eldoret.
Chiloba had been posting his photos of his fashion and designs on Facebook, which Pfantzgraff said he was impressed with.
“I particularly liked his ‘kitenge’ designs which caused me to find out more about him and that is how we met later,” the missionary said.
He said Chiloba expressed keen interest in developing his design and fashion career through the studies.
“He visited me in Mumias several time and he requested that I support his education, which I was doing until the time of death,” he said.
Pfantzgraff recounted how he and his wife used to invite the slain student to their Mumias house during December holidays and on his return to the university, they would do shopping for him and pay school fees.
“I used to send him university fees through M-Pesa and he would reciprocate through text messages to me. I would also send him some money for upkeep,” he said.
The missionary said he never visited his foster son at the university to see how he was living.
Chiloba last December introduced Odhiambo to the missionaries as a friend who was a photographer, he said.
In early January Pfantzgraff said he learned from Odhiambo that Chiloba had gone missing but the suspect would still communicate to them using the mobile phone number that belonged to the activist.
It is Odhiambo who informed them that Chiloba’s body had been found dumped in the town, he said.
Faith Toroitich, the slain student’s sister, recalled how her brother visited her in one of the popular entertainment joints in Eldoret where she works as cashier on the eve of December 31, 2022.
She said Chiloba looked disturbed that night.
“My brother arrived at around 10pm while accompanied by the accused person whom I had never seen to usher in the New Year,” Toroitich recalled.
The witness recounted that through that night, her brother would come to her office while drunk and looking distressed.
Toroitich told the court that she learned of her brother’s death through a friend who called and later showed her some disturbing pictures that had been posted on Facebook.
The mutilated body of the interior design university student was discovered in a metal box along Kipkenyo-Kaptinga road in Kapseret subcounty, Uasin Gishu, on January 3, 2023.
The accused has made a second application seeking to be released on bail as the case continues. Hearing continues on January 31 next year.
