Having been Kenya’s longest-serving Vice President, the late Professor George Saitoti will remain in the country’s history books for years to come.
Nevertheless, even before what many see as his unfulfilled political potential, he tragically died on June 10, 2012, when a plane crashed in Ngong Forest.
Following his death, he was survived by only one son, Zachary Musengi, whom he had with his wife, Mrs. Margaret Saitoti. Shortly after his passing, his son, Zachary, came into the public limelight, which brought challenges, including a long-running public paternity dispute.
In this piece, Times Digital Kenya takes a look at Zachary Musengi’s professional career and how he navigated life after his father’s passing.
Education and career
Zachary was born at a time when his father, George Saitoti, was in the country’s leadership and studied in Kenya up to secondary school.
After completing high school, he moved to the United Kingdom to study media and design at the University of the West of England.
Upon finishing his higher education, Zachary Musengi became a professional photographer and graphic designer.
With his experience in the field, he has worked as an in-house photographer for several media entities abroad, including Soul Motive Records and TRAP Magazine in Bristol, UK.
In addition, the late Saitoti’s son has collaborated with brands such as Red Bull, where he produced short films.
Paternity Case
After Saitoti had died, a man identified as Sebastian Maina Ngunju emerged claiming that Zachary, whose real name he alleged was Stephen Wachira, was his son and had been abducted while still very young on August 31, 1988.
According to Mr. Sebastian Maina and his family, they discovered that Zachary was their long-lost son when they saw him at Saitoti’s requiem mass. As a result, the Ngunju family took the initiative and filed a case in court seeking to have their son back.
On the other hand, the Saitoti family lawyers maintained that Zachary Musengi was not the son missing from the Ngunju family.
The dispute went on for years until July 2020, when the courts ruled in what was seen as a relief to the Saitoti family. Despite Sebastian Ngunju and his wife Elizabeth Maina demanding a DNA test, the court ruled that Zachary Musengi was indeed a member of the Saitoti family. This brought an end to the dispute, which had lasted for many years.
Since then, Zachary has been living a low-key lifestyle and is rarely seen at public events.
