A charity event in Kitale turned chaotic on Friday afternoon when Mary Biketi, partner to Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, and her team were attacked by a group of unidentified assailants while at the Kitale Museum.
The incident left several attendees injured and robbed, casting a shadow over what was intended as a day of community service.
Biketi, who leads the Mary Biketi Foundation, expressed deep regret over the violence, emphasizing that the foundation’s sole mission is to empower youth, women, and vulnerable groups in society.
“I want to take this strongest opportunity to condemn the violence meted out on our team while undertaking the well-meaning initiative by my Mary Biketi Foundation. My organisation is all about giving back to the community,” she said after recording a statement with police.
She was quick to dispel any political motives behind the event, stating, “We are not in any political party. We are just empowering the youth, women and vulnerable groups in the society.” Biketi also clarified that she has not declared interest in any elective position, countering rumors that the attack was politically motivated.
Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers, believed to have come from a nearby informal settlement, disrupted the ongoing programme, stealing phones and breaking into vehicles.
“We were proceeding with our programme when goons came and attacked us, stole phones and broke into cars,” Biketi recounted.
