• Metropolitan Police told the BBC that it shared the forensic details but the examination by their Kenyan counterparts failed.
• Police Spokesman Owino denied ever knowing about the development.
Image: FILE
The UK's Metropolitan Police had shared with their Kenyan counterparts the forensic fingerprints of the stowaway man whose body fell in London but the counter-check failed to identify him, it has emerged.
The UK based BBC had reported that the Metro Police told it that they submitted fingerprint samples through the Kenyan Interpol but the analysis turned negative.
"Yes, fingerprints were taken and sent through the National Crime Agency to Interpol, Nairobi," the text message from the Metropol to BBC read.
"We have been informed that a forensic fingerprint analysis was conducted with negative results."
It is not clear when the sharing was done and what other steps have been taken by the Kenyan police to further the probe. The message from the Metropol did not specify the time either. However, police spokesman Charles Owino told The Star he was not privy to such developments.
He said if any of that would take place, the communication from Metropol through the Interpol would be directed to the Kenya Airports Authority and the entities in charge of airports safety.
"Any of such request would come through Interpol to the KAA as the lead agency over this matter as it is a sensitive one that regards the safety of our aviation," he said.
"The KCAA would also take the lead in the probe. The stakes are quite high."
He said the police would have not been helpful in verifying the fingerprints as they "only keep those that we collect from criminals".
"The fingerprints of the stowaway would only be run against the database from the civil registrar and not from the criminal database," he said.
The stowaway fell off 3,500 feet from the sky when 787 Boeing airliner released its wheels, preparing to land at Heathrow Airport.
The man, whose identity is contested, hid in the landing gear compartment from JKIA, hoping to travel to London without necessary travel documents. It turned into a misadventure. He could not brave the extreme cold and the lack of oxygen in the over 10,000 feet altitude. He died mid-air.
A bag, bottled water and a bottle of orange soda were found in the wheel compartment of the plane when it landed.