An American tourist has been arrested following a fight with a businessman in Narok town. The foreigner, who has been identified as Mr Amando Kurti from Alabama, United States, is set to be arraigned on Monday for assault and resisting arrest, according to Narok OCPD Joseph Kisombe. At the time of the incident, Mr Kurti was accompanied by Ms Danielle Olivier from New Zealand. Mr Kisombe said the two tourists were arrested at a roadblock in Ntulele trading centre, as they drove to Nairobi. But the man’s partner Ms Danielle Olivier, who is a New Zealander, and Narok Senator Ledama ole Kina, have accused the police of taking sides. “The police seem to fear Mr Ishmael, why haven’t they arrested him after equally injuring the tourist,” said Mr Kina.
Narok Senator Ledama ole Kina (right) and Danielle Olivier from New Zealand, whose partner Amando Kurti was arrested for allegedly assaulting a businessman in Narok, arrive at Narok Police Station on February 17, 2019. “Since I was scared, I immediately left the ATM and rushed to our car and told my partner what had happened,” she said. She said her partner alighted from the vehicle and demanded to know why Mr Ishmael had assaulted her before the two started to exchange blows.
Ms Olivier blamed the trader for starting the fight. She said Mr Muneer Ishmael, a petrol station owner, roughed her up as she withdrew money from at a Co-operative Bank Automated Teller Machine. “We were on our way to Nairobi from Maasai Mara Game Reserve when we stopped to fuel our car and fix some mechanical problems,” said Ms Olivier at Narok Police Station on Friday.
“While I was at the (Co-operative Bank) ATM, the man (Mr Ishmael) started pushing and slapping me on the face as he demanded to know why I had parked the car at the wrong place,” she said. The OCPD said after the Friday incident, the two, who were driving a top of the range vehicle, fled towards Mai Mahiu after assaulting Mr Ishmael, a petrol station owner. Mr Kisombe said Mr Ishmael suffered serious injuries on the face. “An argument arose after the tourists parked their car at the entrance of the petrol station. The standoff degenerated into a fight where Mr Ishmael suffered injuries on the face,” said Mr Kisombe.
The OCPD said Mr Ishmael reported the attack to Narok Police Station and officers manning roadblocks were alerted. The fleeing duo were seized at a roadblock in Ntulele trading centre, as they drove to Nairobi. Mr Ishmael hit the headlines in 2009 after police discovered illegal military arsenal in his house. The arsenal, the largest ever consignment of weapons found in civilian hands in Kenyan history, included 100,000 bullets and six guns. An assortment of military supplies was also seized from the businessman’s house in Narok.