A man has defied death by clinging to a helicopter in a reportedly desperate bid to view a businessman's corpse in Kenya.

The man, 28-year-old Saleh Wanjala​, was among a crowd of people trying to get a glimpse at Jacob Juma's body.

Juma was a controversial, yet prominent figure and an outspoken critic of the Kanyan government who was murdered last week in Nairobi, the Standard Digital News reported.

DAVID FWAMBA/YOUTUBE Saleh Wanjala is seen clinging desperately to a helicopter carrying the body of a dead businessman. The 28-year-old was seriously injured after being dropped at an airfield about 2km away.

But when it came time to fly the body and the grieving family on to the next location, the pilot didn't realise Wanjala was still clinging to his helicopter.

Video of the bizarre incident shows Wanjala holding on with both hands as the chopper flies away.

It was only the noise of the crowd that made the pilot aware of the clinger-on, the Mail Online reported.

The pilot flew to an airstrip 2km away, where he got low enough for safely drop Wajala, who suffered serious leg and head injuries.

Police said he was taken to hospital under police guard and will be charged "once he recuperates for endangering his life and that of the pilot".

Onlookers were in disbelief at what they saw.

"He was showing us a unique style of mourning the fallen hero, but he went far by displaying his stupidity. That was dangerous," the Mail quoted Siboe Siboe as saying.