Tourist and driver captured on video fighting in the Maasai Mara

A video has emerged of a tour driver and a tourist fighting at Maasai Mara National Reserve while watching animals.

In the video, the driver identified as John Lesian is seen quarreling with a domestic tourist, Hillary Murage, and slaps him in the process.

The argument heats up and the driver, donning a Bonfire Adventures t-shirt, goes back to his van and removes a machete.

It is at this point that onlookers and some of his colleagues intervene and separate the two.

Tourists can be heard asking the driver why he is beating up a tourist, accusing him of overreacting.

Ureport reached out to Bonfire Adventures CEO Bonfire Adventures Simon Kabu regarding the incident and he confirmed that it happened last week but the driver in the video is not their employee.

“The incident happened in the Mara and the client was at fault. Police were called in to handle the matter and everything was sorted.

“The man in the video is not our driver…he is a freelance driver,” he said.

Murage, on the other hand, said that the altercation started when Lesian blocked them from taking good photographs of wildlife, something he deemed unprofessional.

He added that an argument ensued between their driver and Lesian but his attempt to mediate landed him in more trouble.

He, however, played down the incident confirming that he had sorted the issue with the driver.

Bonfire Adventures, a Kenyan company, is a known brand in the tours and travels business. 

Recently, a report by the Ministry of Tourism revealed that earnings from the industry improved in 2018 with the ministry reporting Sh157 billion compared to Sh119.9 billion earned the previous year.

The number of international visitor arrivals also grew by 37 percent to 2 million in 2018 from 1.4 million in 2017.

While receiving the report on Monday, President Uhuru Kenyatta encouraged private sector players to invest more in improving tourism experiences.

“Kenya currently has a total of 68 global hotel brands, a clear indication that the international community is confident of returns in investment in the tourism sector,” said the President.

Here is the video of the incident: