Police asked to probe unusual death announcement as CCTV footage emerges

Man suspected to have placed strange death notice of a James Richard Wanjigi on a local daily. [Photo: Courtesy]

A photo of a man suspected to have placed the death announcement of one James Richard Wanjagi has emerged.

The Nation Media Group has released CCTV footage that shows the man walking to the reception and requesting for assistance to place the advert on the Daily Nation.

Today morning, Kenyans woke up to the shocking news of the death announcement of what looked like complete resemblance to Nasa's backer and businessman Jimi Wanjigi, placed on page 49 of the Daily Nation.

The advert talked of the employees of Kwacha Industries being given special thanks. The Wanjigi flagship family concern is called Kwacha Group of Companies.

The controversial death announcement. [Photo: Courtesy]

Oddly, the burial was to happen on February 6, 2018 but the advert ran today February 7, 2018.

Nation Media Group has since sent an apology to the Wanjigi family and the public for the outrageous advertisement.

Part of the statement read “We refer to the publication of a death announcement of James Richard Wanjagi bearing the picture of Mr Jimi Wanjigi that was erroneously published in the Daily Nation of February 7, 2018. We regret the pain and anguish this may have caused Mr Wanjigi and his family and sincerely apologise for this. Nation Media Group does not condone such publication, which clearly goes against our editorial policy. We have taken immediate action against those responsible for the placement of the announcement, including reporting the matter to the police for further investigations”.

Police have also been asked to step up investigations on how the death notice appeared on the local daily. 

Any member of the public with information of the suspect is asked to come forward and report to the nearest police station.