This archive report was first published on 17 November 2019.
On a rare London afternoon, a man fell from a plane into a backyard, startling the resident. This incident occurred almost five months ago, and Kenyan and British authorities have been investigating the circumstances leading to his death.
Despite their efforts, the authorities claim that the man's identity and motive remain unclear. However, a recent investigative piece by a UK news outlet suggests that they have finally solved the mystery.
According to the report, the man was identified as Paul Manyasi, an employee of an airport cleaning firm who had access to the airside. Interviews with his co-worker and friend, as well as his parents, confirmed that he was indeed the man who had fallen from a Kenya Airways plane as it prepared to land in London.
However, the company that employed Manyasi quickly denied having his name on its employee register, and the Kenya Airports Authority stated that they had never issued an airport pass to a man by that name or description.
Even more shocking was the claim by Manyasi's father, who was interviewed on national television, that the man featured in the story was not his son. He also stated that his son was alive and in a Nairobi jail, but media inquiries at the prison revealed that no person matching the description was being held.
As the mystery deepens, it raises questions about the true circumstances surrounding Manyasi's death. Was he a victim of circumstance, or did he meet a fate worse than death in the eyes of his community?
Atwoli is Associate Professor of Psychiatry Moi University School of Medicine.
