Trent Keegan

Keegan grew up in New Plymouth, where his mother, Trish, still lives. 

She told The New Zealand Herald she had not received any official confirmation of what had happened and was still waiting for news of her son's fate.

His father Mike, who lives in Auckland, said he had resigned himself to the fact that the body was that of his son.

"Reports like this would not have surfaced everywhere if it wasn't him," he told the Taranaki Daily News.

"I have had several phone calls from various people in Ireland and some of his friends over there -- he was very well thought of."

The only news he had received was from the internet or his son's friends, he said.

"The New Zealand police will be notifying me when the body's identity has been confirmed. The reason for all the confusion is that the Kenyan police thought he was Irish because of his papers."

Mr Keegan said he had spoken to his son in Nairobi last week. He had been in Kenya since March 25 on a freelance assignment.

His website shows projects he recently shot there.

He has been described as an outdoors person who enjoyed skiing and horse riding. He was a member of the Stratford Mountain Club for many years.