Rashid Echesa: ‘President’ Raila Odinga would have jailed me
Former sports cabinet secretary Rashid Echesa claimed he would have been in prison at Shimo La Tewa today had Kenyans elected opposition leader Raila Odinga as president in the 2022 presidential election.
The outspoken politician, who was recently appointed Chairperson o the Kenya Water Towers Agency Board by President William Ruto, made these claims during a stop over in Kenol, Maragua Constituency, Murang’a County, where he attended a Council of Chairpersons of Government parastatals meeting on women empowerment programs based on the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda.
“You people know the hardships I faced with the previous government. I want to take this opportunity and tell the people of Murang’a a very big thank you. Had you not voted for William Ruto, I, Rashid Mohammed, would have been rotting in Shimo La Tewa. By voting for William Ruto, you saved me from the hands of conmen and chains that were making me suffer.
You all know what I went through and Deputy President Gachagua also went through the same. You all know that anyone who supported William Ruto was being implicated in corruption cases. I was implicated in 11 cases and at the end of the day, the courts threw out the cases. There weren’t any witnesses (who came forth).
I am thankful to you Murang’a people, together with my family, if you hadn’t voted, I don’t know where I would have been today. I want to thank you for not looking back or what candidates were saying then. You used your brains and knew the person who would develop this country is President Ruto,” claimed Echesa.
President Ruto beat Raila Odinga by about 200,000 votes to clinch the controversial presidential election.
Rashid Echesa was implicated in several corruption cases but what cost him his cabinet position was the Sh 39 billion arms deal that turned out to be fraudulent. In 2020, he was charged with forgery and swindling two gun dealers of Sh 11.5 million they allegedly paid him as consultancy fees in the fraudulent arms deal.
Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei, a police officer stationed at Harambee Annex which housed former deputy president William Ruto’s offices was also implicated in this scandal as meetings with gun sellers were held within the same building.
In prior interviews before the arms deal became national news, Echesa always bragged about his close friendship with William Ruto. Later, William Ruto would later claim that his offices were fraudulently accessed by Echesa in what he claimed was a breach of security as Echesa was aided by some security officers.
Officer Kenei was later found murdered after fingers were pointed at him for allegedly being involved in the scam and he was set to be investigated by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. Former president Uhuru Kenyatta fired Echesa from his position in light of this scandal.
Another chilling scandal in which Echesa was implicated is the Matungu, Kakamega County, killings in which more than 30 people were killed in a span of less than four months by a terror gang.