The Nation Media Group (NMG) on Thursday, November 17, retracted a death announcement of one Rosemary Wekosasa, a former staff at the Office of the President in Mombasa.
Through its Monday, November 14, newspaper edition, the death announcement was made noting the victim had passed on on November 8, after allegedly ailing from cancer.
NMG noted that the said 'dead' person went to its offices after the publication was made and confirmed she was still alive.
The media house expressed remorse for the unknown heartache caused to the family of Wekosasa noting: "We regret the pain and anguish this may have caused to the victim and her family and sincerely apologise for this."
"The company regrets the publication and wishes to apologise to Rosemary Wekosasa, the members of her family not involved in the publication of the notice, and members of the public generally.
For the inconvenience, shock, and embarrassment that the false notification of death occasioned to them by this unfortunate occurrence," read part of the apology.
According to NMG, the publication was made after false information was given by the son of the victim.
Following the erroneous publication, NMG promised to handle the issue in liaison with the relevant authorities.
"We have taken immediate action against the responsible person for the placement of the announcement, including reporting the matter to the authorities for further action," NMG affirmed.
Notably, Wekosasa was a civil servant and retired in 2020 before moving to Nairobi to be with her mother.
According to the false death announcement, Wekosasa was born in 1955 and raised in Nairobi before moving to Mombasa. She only has one child, a son. Wekosasa is also a firstborn daughter and a widow.
In May 2019, the High Court in Nairobi ordered Nation Media Group to pay billionaire Jimmy Wanjigi and his wife Irene Nzisa a total of Ksh8 million over a fake obituary advert that claimed that he was dead.
