This archive report was first published on 21 November 2019.
On November 12, 2019, British broadcaster Sky News published an investigative story about a stowaway who fell from a Kenya Airways plane in London on June 30. The story identified the man as Paul Manyasi, a cleaner at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
However, the family of the alleged stowaway, Cedric Shivonje, denied the report, stating that they had not spoken since 2017 and that their son was alive and in remand over a defilement case. The Kenya Airports Authority and Colnet, the cleaning company Manyasi was reported to have worked for, also denied the report.
On November 13, 2019, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss George Kinoti confirmed that Cedric Shivonje was at Industrial Area Remand Prison in Nairobi. Kenya Prisons Service spokesman Dixon Mwakazi also confirmed that Shivonje was at the Nairobi Medium Prison after failing to raise Sh200,000 bail.
On November 21, 2019, Sky News apologized for its reporting, stating that it was founded on misleading information and that it no longer had conclusive evidence that the stowaway worked for Colnet. The media outlet also apologized to Colnet for suggesting that the stowaway was one of their employees.
The stowaway's body is still being held at a London mortuary, and no family has claimed it. London Metropolitan Police says his death is not being treated as suspicious and an inquest will be held after they close investigations.
