Mt Kenya Forest guide denies role in death of two tourists

The tour guide was put to his defence regarding his qualifications as a tour guide by three lawyers who insisted that he had no formal training. PHOTO: COURTESY

A tour guide has denied being responsible for the deaths of a 39-year old-American tourist and her one-year-old daughter.

The two were trampled by an elephant in Mt Kenya Forest on January 5, 2010.

Ibrahim Maina, a tour guide at Castle Forest Lodge, yesterday told the court that he never ran away leaving behind Sharon Brown and her daughter, Margaux Catherine, at the mercy of an elephant they encountered during a walk in the forest.

"I could not deliberately lead someone on a path that I knew had animals; I would also be in danger," he told High Court judge Jairus Ngaah.

The tour guide was put to his defence regarding his qualifications as a tour guide by three lawyers who insisted that he had no formal training.

Mr Maina denied that he was unqualified or incompetent, insisting that if he were, he would have been fired from his job.

In addition to doubting his qualifications, the lawyers also accused him of failing to take any steps to protect the tourists.

They accused him of being a negligent and unqualified guide who should have known that leading the tourists into the forest was endangering their lives, and his.

The victims' family has sued the lodge.