Mumias brought to standstill as Rashid Echesa gets 'heroic' welcome
Business came to a standstill in Mumias town on Friday morning as local supporters jammed the streets to welcome former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa back home.
Mr Echesa could be seen greeting supporters from the sunroof of a car as it snaked its way through Mumias town in a long convoy of vehicles blaring loud music.
The convoy was escorted by tens of supporters on motorbikes as they hooted and chanted words of support in praise of the ex-CS, while others carried placards.
They marched from Ekero shopping center through Mumias town to his home at Shibale while singing and dancing to welcome “their son who has was trapped in Nairobi by evil forces”.
He arrived in a fleet of five vehicles, one them mounted with a public address system.
He made a stopover at Sabatia market in Butere where he addressed youth who blocked his way, demanding to greet him before he moved on to a thunderous reception at Ekero market.
“...My hands got tied through a fake scandal meant to silence me because I opposed the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) meeting in Kakamega on January 18, 2020. It has been a long journey but God has seen me through,” said Mr Echesa.
Addressing the multitude of his supporters in Mumias town, he regretted that while he was pushing on with his case in Nairobi, Covid-19 broke out forcing President Uhuru Kenyatta to close down the economy.
“What pained me was the manner in which the police were treating my people back at home. Knowing that there was no one to contain them, they teargassed and even killed people under the pretext of enforcing Covid-19 protocols. This was uncalled for,” he noted.
He also took issue with Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli.
“But with all the ills he intended for me, my people prayed for me and God heard their prayers and that is why I am here today. Otherwise, I forgave him and I harbour no grudge against him because he is my father, but he should leave the people of Wanga community alone,” he added.
Fake arms tender
His return to Mumias comes months after he was arrested amid a probe into his role in a Sh39 billion fake tender deal to supply the government with military surveillance equipment, guns, and ammunition.
He was held in custody back in February after a complaint by two gun dealers who claimed he had swindled them Sh11.5 million that they had paid as ‘consultancy fees’.
In March, the hearing of the Sh39 billion fake military tender case against him and four others failed to kick off after the prosecution failed to supply the defence with documents.
