This archive report was first published on 21 November 2019.
On June 20, a stowaway fell from a Kenya Airways plane just minutes before it landed in London. The incident sparked a media frenzy, with Sky News being one of the first to report on the story.
However, in a shocking turn of events, Sky News has now admitted that its reporting was founded on misleading information. The media outlet had identified the stowaway as 29-year-old Paul Manyasi, an employee of cleaning firm Colnet contracted by Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
But in a statement issued on Thursday, Sky News apologized for suggesting that Paul Manyasi was one of their employees, stating that they no longer have conclusive evidence to support this claim. The media outlet also admitted to using photos of Shivonje Isaac, a remandee at Kamiti Prison, in their piece.
According to Sky News, their reporting was based on corroborating interviews with people who identified as friends, relatives, and colleagues of Paul Manyasi – including his father. However, it appears that this information was incorrect.
On November 21, 2019, Sky News issued a statement admitting to the mistake, saying, “This was based on corroborating interviews with people who identified as friends, relatives and colleagues of Paul Manyasi – including his father.”
