Naivasha, KENYA: The Sun Africa Hotel has been directed by the high court to compensate a Chinese family a total sum of sh 25 million.
This is following their daughter’s death Luo Yi in 2013 who was killed by a hippo at the group’s hotel in Naivasha.
The hotel was sued by the family who argued that she was the only child and a breadwinner.
The hotel had denied responsibility saying that Luo Yi wandered into the animal’s habitat when taking photos of the mother hippo while it was grazing .
The evidence presented in court further argued that Luo Yi’s act annoyed the hippo which was grazing together with its calf.
“She moved too close to the calf’s hippo and presumably the mother hippo attacked her trying to protect its calf from the deceased.” The Hotel had argued in its defense.
However, Judge Jacqueline Kamau argued that she could not have been taking photos as the camera was on standby.
“The fact that camera was standby, if it was, the girl could have already captured the hippo when the camera was on standby mode so is not a proof that she wanted to capture the hippos.” said judge Jacqueline.
“The hippo intruded in the hotel and this caused threat to the guest”, the judge said.
