8 Pakistani Dancers Demand Kshs 9.1 Million From CS Rashid Echesa and Fred Matiang'i

The eight dancers from Pakistan who were deported are now asking Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa and his Interior counterpart Fred Matiang’i to compensate them.

Their lawyer Evans Ondieki has asked the court to order the CSs to pay them for irregular deportation.

He insisted that the girls were in the country legally with full permission of the Sports CS.

The advocate explained that the cultural dancers were allowed to enter the country by Echesa to promote trans-national cultures.

He further added that each of the ladies had paid the Immigration Department Kshs 45,000 to be issued with special passes.

Echesa dismissed the reports as offensive and potentially defamatory, claiming that the allegations were made by scribes who were hired by his rivals to bring him down.

A report issued by the Director of Administration at the Sports, Culture and Heritage ministry, Charles Wambia stated that the only role Echesa played was to support the Pakistani nationals to participate in an Indian Cultural Festival by issuing them with a Letter of No Objection.

On Friday, the court ordered the women to be kept in a safe house as police carried investigations to establish whether they were victims of human trafficking.

They were deported barely two days later amidst outrage from members of the public who criticised Echesa for his involvement.

The owners of the club where the dancers were arrested, Shaikh Furqan Hussain and Karan Ekdum were arraigned in court on Monday to answer to charges of human trafficking.

In July 2018, the two club owners were also accused of trafficking by recruiting a Pakistan national and eight Nepalese nationals for purpose of exploitation by means of deception.

  • .