Rashid Echesa, who had previously served as the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Sports, was taken to a hospital in Nairobi on Saturday morning, March 30, under the impression that his health was severe.
The former secretary of state was reportedly bleeding severely from a surgical incision that had been operated on a week before his detention, as stated by the attorney, Danstan Omari.
Omari provided additional information, stating that Echesa had a scheduled doctor’s visit on Friday for a checkup and assistance with his unhealed surgical wound. However, the police refused to release him.
“We went with a letter from Karen Hospital, where he had undergone surgery and was to be brought here for review,” he said. “The police were unable to release him on bail,” he added.
“It got to the point where he needed to be taken here this morning because it had become so awful. He had a significant amount of blood coming from the wound.
Echesa is presently undergoing treatment, and he is waiting for a report from the doctor’s evaluation to ascertain his status. Should his condition turn out to be critical, the hospital may need to readmit him.
Omari continued, “We are waiting to hear from the doctor, after which we will be able to determine whether we can release him on cash bail or re-admit him, regardless of the doctor’s prescription.”
An advocate for Echesa’s release on Friday was Senator Boni Khalwale of Kakamega, who was one of the individuals involved. The lawmaker spent the day at the headquarters of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), which is located along Kiambu Road. While there, he made a demand that the former cabinet secretary be returned to him.
“I serve as the government majority whip in addition to being the Senator for Kakamega.” According to a statement made by Khalwale on Friday, “I came here on the basis of the authority given to me by Kakamega County to ask the National Government to release Rashid to me.”
“I had been in the DCI Headquarters in Nairobi for the whole of today afternoon, and then I went to the Muthaiga Police Station to finish out my shift. It was my responsibility to transport him to the hospital. It is clear that the former CS is not feeling well,” Khalwale said.
Allegations surfaced on March 28 that Echesa was part of a criminal organization attempting to blackmail and extort Fernandes Barasa, the governor of Kakamega.
The court brought an individual believed to be Echesa’s handler before it for allegedly extorting Ksh240 million from the governor of Kakamega. This led to the arrest of the other individual. He faced two charges of conspiracy to conduct a crime and one count of demanding property with force.