The High Court sitting in Kakamega directed the state on Tuesday, October 29 to return the firearm it confiscated from ex-cabinet secretary Rashid Echesa.
Echesa's firearm. a beretta pistol was seized from him on May 17 after he was arrested shortly after attending a political rally in Ikolomani where Deputy President William Ruto was the chief guest.
The former Sports and Heritage CS was arrested in connection to the killings in Matungu, Kakamega County where more than 20 people were brutally murdered between March and May this year.
After his arbitrary arrest, Echesa was released on May 19 after the DPP stated that there was insufficient evidence to warrant further detention of the former western Kenya Jubilee point man.
Upon his release, Echesa filed a petition at the high court and argued that his rights were violated by the DCI.
Justice Jesse Njagi, declared that Echesa's fundamental rights to freedom were violated when the DCI arrested and detained him for two nights without plausible cause.
The high court judge further declared the actions of the state to confiscate Echesa's pistol was unlawful, unreasonable and an abuse of authority.
In the petition filed at the High Court, James Namatsi, the lawyer to Echesa argued that his client's arrest was politically motivated and that the powers that be were harassing Echesa after he was dropped from serving in President Uhuru's cabinet.
Justice Njagi dismissed a statement from the investigating officers who argued that they arrested Echesa to protect a police source.
"It would be very sad if law enforcers went around arresting blameless citizens to protect their sources," Justice Njagi ruled.
Besides the firearm, officers from the DCI also confiscated a firearm certificate book and a magazine loaded with ammunition from the ex-cs.
