Stowaway Who Fell from a Kenya Airways Plane in London Identified as Paul Manyasi, a JKIA Worker

Sky News has established what it believes is the identity of a stowaway who fell from a Kenya Airways flight heading to Heathrow Airport in London, the UK on June 30th, 2019.

The body of the unidentified male fell in a garden in the Borough of Lambeth, South London minutes before the aircraft landed at Heathrow from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.

Metropolitan Police in London tracked the flight radar to KQ Flight 100 after the owner of the garden reported the incident.

A composite image released by London police last month showed a man of dark complexion and authorities believed he is a Kenyan national. This could not be confirmed as the stowaway did not have any form of identification documents on his body or luggage. 

Police recovered his luggage comprising a bag with distinctive writing spelling “MCA” on the straps in the aircraft’s landing gear compartment. Police said the bag contained a small amount of Kenyan currency.

His fingerprint samples sent to Kenya for identification showed negative results, forcing London’s Metropolitan Police to generate an e-fit image from his body that suffered multiple injuries.

Following the incident, Sky News began investigations in a bid to establish the identity of the man.

On Tuesday, Sky News reported it had identified the stowaway as Paul Manyasi, a 29-year-old Kenyan man who worked for Colnet, one of the companies providing services at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

The company deploys hundreds of people as cleaners and sanitation workers and does pest control as well, according to Sky News.

"The last time I saw him, we were at work, he suddenly disappeared, nobody knows where he went," a woman (identity concealed) who was Manyasi’s girlfriend and workmate told Sky News.

She said Manyasi went missing at the end of June.

"Did you go to work with him?" Sky reporter asked. She replied: "Yes, I was with him in the morning."

Irene (not her real name) said she was told to clean inside the passenger terminal on June 30th while Manyasi was assigned to the area outside. At the end of their shift, she could not find him anywhere.

"He suddenly disappeared, nobody knows where he went. I called his phone and it was off. When we came in the morning the following day the supervisor called us and told us there is somebody missing.”

Sky News reported: “The supervisor had told them, “We are not sure of the person so we keep it a secret until we know the person."

Irene showed the reporter some photos of Manyasi and said they had been in a relationship for two years and had planned to start a family.

"Paul was a nice guy. He was just a jovial person. I just liked him the way he was. We had agreed one day maybe we could make a family I just feel like I lost someone who I loved so much – yes, I miss him," she said.

Asked why Manyasi risked his life and left her behind, she noted: "Maybe he was curious." 

Sky also found Manyasi’s friend and roommate, Patrick in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums in Nairobi, where the two lived. Patrick said he had wrangled Paul a job at Colnet.

"Paul was a friend of mine. We came from the same county, the same school and I was working at Colnet so I took him to the company and we started together."

Patrick said Manyasi was dreaming of something more- he was seeking a better job abroad. "There was another job Paul was seeking. It was not in Kenya..." he said.

"He didn't specify where, but he said it was outside Kenya."

Patrick said he was not certain that his friend was the stowaway. "I cannot know if he flew. I don't know, I cannot guess," he said.

Sky returned to Irene with the e-fit image released by London police plus photos of his bag found in the plane’s landing compartment to see whether she would recognize them.

On the e-fit image, Irene said: "They look alike but [Paul] wasn't dark – not dark – but the face resembles [Paul]."

On the bag, she noted: "Yes, hii bag ni yake [the bag is his]." 

On what the initials 'MCA' scribbled on the stowaway’s bag meant, Irene commented:  "Member of County Assembly," she answered. "He liked to be called that name. Like a nickname."