This archive report was first published on 21 November 2019.
On November 20, 2019, Cedric Isaac Shivonje, a 25-year-old Kenyan man, was visited by his father Isaac Betti and uncle Timothy Burundi at Kamiti Prison in Nairobi. Shivonje was being held on unrelated charges and had been in prison for two years.
Shivonje's emergence now compounds the identification dilemma of the nationality of the man who nestled in the landing compartment of the aircraft on June 30 and fell 3,500 feet as the plane approached Heathrow Airport in London.
According to flight records, the plane had been to South Africa before taking off from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for London on the early morning of June 30.
Shivonje told the Nation that he was arrested on August 7 and remanded on August 13 after being taken to a Kibera court where he is facing defilement charges.
On June 30, the day a man fell from the compartment, Shivonje says he was in Kawangware, where he used to work as a teacher of English and science at a private school.
Shivonje's identity card indicates he is 25, contradicting Sky News' report that Paul Manyasi, the alleged stowaway, was 29 years old.
Shivonje's father, Isaac Betti, had travelled from Butali, Kakamega County, to visit his son for the first time in two years. He had come with Shivonje's uncle, Mr Timothy Burundi, who has been visiting him regularly at Industrial Area Prison Remand.
Shivonje's emergence now raises questions about the accuracy of the Sky News report, which identified Paul Manyasi as the stowaway. The report had received photos from Paul's girlfriend, who said they looked alike but Manyasi was not dark.
Shivonje's father, Isaac Betti, had been interviewed by Sky News and had identified his son as the stowaway. However, he had not revealed that his son was in jail, fearing that the villagers would know.
Shivonje's case has sparked a lawsuit against Sky News, which is accused of defaming its client. The law firm MJM Law LLP has threatened to sue Sky News, demanding a full retraction of the article, an apology, and a written commitment not to publish any more articles on Shivonje.
