Tour firm rewards man behind false alarm on paper bag lion
A man who confused an image of a lion on a paper bag for a real one before raising an alarm will now get the chance to see the king of jungle in flesh at Masai Mara.
Franklin Murimi caused panic and fear among residents of Kiangua location in South Imenti after reporting sighting the ‘lion’ hidden in a live fence.
However, it turned out to be a false alarm after Kenya Wildlife Service officers discovered that the ‘lion’ was actually an image of the animal on a shopping paper bag containing avocado seedlings.
Nonetheless, Mr Murimi, a farmworker from Meru, and his employer, Ms Mugambi, have now been gifted a three-day safari in the Mara by Expeditions Maasai Safaris Limited.
The two are currently enjoying the safari in the Mara courtesy of the tour operator which is catering for all the expenses from transport, accommodation, game drives, meals, drinks, and park entrance charges.
The farmhand expressed his surprise with the gesture by the tour firm, saying he didn’t expect to be rewarded for the viral story.
“Even my friends were telling me I was pranking KWS, but I truly had seen the image as a lion. Others were even telling me to stop taking drugs, but I am a Christian and have never taken any drugs,” said Mr Murimi while receiving the holiday voucher at the tour firm’s headquarters in Nairobi.
“We are very grateful to Expeditions Maasai Safaris for this generous and kind gift for me and my farm worker. I will ask all my friends to support you because you are a generous company,” added Ms Mugambi.
Expeditions Maasai Safaris CEO, Mr Pancras Karema, said he was touched by Mr Murimi’s story as it showed he cared for his neighbours and the three-day holiday was a way of paying back.
“Expeditions Maasai Safaris will always encourage and give an opportunity to deserving Kenyans to also experience what our customers enjoy when they are on holidays with us,” said Mr Karema.
“We believe you will see the real simba and go back to Meru and encourage others to book a safari to tour our magical Kenya. I thank our customers for supporting and enabling his company to touch lives of fellow Kenyans like Murimi,” he added.