A Kenyan tour guide went berserk and stabbed a Chinese couple holidaying at the Maasai Mara in a scuffle over a dinner table. He stabbed both the man and woman with a knife. The woman succumbed to her injuries, while her husband survived with injuries.
The incident happened at Keekorok Lodge on Monday night. The tour guide and the Chinese couple had argued over occupancy of a dining table, with the guide insisting that he usually used the table. The tour guide, who works for Kenya-China Tour Company, reportedly picked a quarrel with the two tourists, a man and a wife from his native country, as they were preparing for dinner at Keekorok Lodge inside the park, then drew a knife from a holster and repeatedly stubbed them.
The woman who sustained serious injuries in the chest died as she was being transferred to Mara Sarova Game Camp for treatment at the facility’s health centre while his husband sustained serious stomach injuries.
He was rushed to Narok County Referral Hospital for treatment after receiving first aid at the Mara Sarova Game Camp 10 kilometres from the scene of the attack.
John Kiruti, the Keekorok Lodge manager said today the tour guide, who was later arrested by police attached to Sekenani Gate and transferred to Narok police station, picked a quarrel with the couple who were in
company of their two children, claiming that they had sat at a table that had been reserved for them.
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Their children, who are still at the lodge, were however not injured, he said. “The tour guide who had brought three clients from his country for two nights differed with the couple who had been booked by East African Golden Company over the sitting arrangement at the time of dinner,” said Kiruti. “After a brief exchange of words, he drew a knife and stubbed the two, fatally injuring the woman and injuring her husband.”
Her husband was transferred to a Nairobi hospital for specialized treatment after being stabilised by doctors at the referral hospital, police said.
The hotel staff rushed to restrain the guide as his victims’ children watched helplessly in horror. The kids, aged 9 and 12 are still in shock. “We are making plans to take them to Nairobi,” said Kiruti. The Narok County Police Commander Abdi Galgalo said the guide who has been booking his clients in various hotels in the Mara for more than 15 years will appear in court to face murder charger and attempted murder after investigations are completed.
“We are holding him until investigations are over. It was a sad incident that is deeply regretted,” he said
More than 100 tourists who were having dinner and witnessed the incident scampered for safety, screaming as they rushed out of the dining hall.
Mr Galgalo said the attacker was arrested and was being held at the Narok Police Station. A police officer who responded to the attack, but who requested not to be named, said the tour guide had asked the couple to vacate the dining table so he could sit there but they declined.
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