The hosting of a high-profile political leader can come with immense pressure for business owners, particularly when thousands of supporters converge at their premises.
For Lynne Nzisa, also known as Kelitu Kaseo, proprietor of Takawiri Victoria Sands Hotel, a visit by the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in March 2024 left her with a painful experience she says she has never publicly shared until now.
Kaseo has narrated how she was allegedly injured while preparing a restaurant toilet for Raila to use during an event attended by more than 2,500 people.
In a detailed account, Kaseo said Raila arrived at the hotel for an event and needed to take a bathroom break. She initially suggested that he use a reserved guest room, but his handlers opted for the restaurant toilets because the rooms were located far from where the crowd had gathered.
“I suggested that he does this in one of the rooms because there were over 2500 people in the compound and much as we were servicing the toilet every 30 minutes, I wasn't sure they were clean enough for Baba considering the crowd size,” she recalled.
According to Kaseo, she personally followed up on the cleanliness of the gents’ toilet after instructing one of her cleaners to mop the facility.
She said she later accompanied Charles Odhiambo, who had previously worked in Homa Bay County, to confirm that the toilet was ready before informing Raila that he could use it.
However, while checking the facility, Kaseo said a man suddenly entered, pushed a staff member who was standing outside and then allegedly shoved her backwards into the toilet area.
“As I was turning by the sink area and walking towards the door to let the cleaner finalise cleaning the sink area, some man came in, shoved my staff who was outside the door, then came to the door and pushed me back in till I fell inside the toilet sink area with my back,” she stated.
Kaseo said the incident strained a spinal disc, leaving her with recurring pain. She added that she subsequently underwent several chiropractic sessions with Dr Adagala.
She said Charles later informed the man of her identity and asked him to apologise, but he allegedly declined. Kaseo said she later learnt that the man was Raila’s personal security officer, whom she identified as Maurice Ogeta.
“I later came to learn that the guy was Baba's personal security... One Maurice Ogeta. I later reported the matter to CS Mbadi,” she said.
Despite the painful experience, Kaseo acknowledged Raila’s death with a tribute, saying she did not know whether he ever learnt what happened to her after she was asked to personally oversee preparations for his bathroom break.
“May Baba RIP. I don't know whether Baba ever got to know what happened to me,” she wrote.
Kaseo said she decided to share the account because it was her personal experience and one she had kept private for years.
“Mimi saa ingine tu huwa nakapitia. This is my story to tell. A sad story. A lived story. A story I have never told before till today,” she said.
She also directly addressed Ogeta, saying: “Maurice Ogeta wherever you are, you still owe me an apology.”
Kaseo concluded by urging people working around political leaders and other VIPs to treat ordinary citizens and business owners with respect and gentleness. She added that she had recently experienced another incident in which she was allegedly manhandled, promising to share details at a later date.