Former Sports Cabinet Secretary (CS) Rashid Echesa Mohammed has been at the centre of numerous contentious incidents since his appointment to the docket in 2018.
President Uhuru on Friday announced a major Cabinet reshuffle that saw Dr Amina Mohamed appointed as the new Sports CS and Echesa sacked.
The controversial former CS has been mentioned in a number of cases of misconduct ranging from shocking to bizarre.
Pakistan human trafficking fiasco
Rashid Echesa found himself in trouble over eight Pakistani belly dancers who were arrested at Balle Balle club in Parklands, Nairobi.
During their hearing of the case, the girls' lawyer, Mr Evans Ondieki, confidently told the court that the eight girls were in Kenya with full permission of the then CS Echesa.
Ondieki argued that the eight had paid Ksh45,000 each to the Immigration Department for the special passes and were in the country legally until January 18, 2019.
The eight belly dancers, alongside one Indian one, were eventually deported for violating terms of their temporary passes that allowed them into Kenya, allegedly to promote transnational culture.
Authorities suspected that the young women were victims of human trafficking.
Senator Cleophas Malala ‘nudes’ saga
This involved what has since been ascertained as photoshopped images of a man, claimed to be Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala in bed with a woman, which surfaced online igniting a barrage of reactions.
Three journalists then came out and claimed responsibility for doctoring the photos to pass as those of the senator with the aim of embarrassing him.
The journalists went on to confess to allegedly being paid by Echesa to doctor the photo to look like the Kakamega senator.
Malala backed up these claims with mobile text messages and WhatsApp communication between the three photojournalists and a number believed to be Echesa's.
According to the messages, the former Sports CS sent the journalists Ksh 5,000 through his personal driver.
An irate Malala called upon President Uhuru Kenyatta to sack Echesa on grounds that the youthful CS had failed the integrity test crucial for all public office holders.
The amputee team saga
A section of legislators blasted the former Sports boss demanding that he either performs his duties or steps down over the predicament the Kenya amputee football team players underwent after landing in Kenya.
The team had made their way to the Sports ministry offices to present their participation trophy after a stellar performance during the Amputee Football World Cup in México, where they emerged second in Africa.
However, damning photos showed the team sleeping on the floor at the Ministry’s headquarters after failing to access the CS.
“I think the Sports CS is sleeping, this issue can’t go this far. It is either this minister styles up or steps aside, we can’t keep behaving this way,” MP representing persons with disabilities, Dennittah Ghatti, asserted.
Echesa had often been criticised as undeserving of his post due to his lowly level of education.
Ksh32 billion fake currency links
Former CS Echesa was recently linked to one of the biggest fake currency bursts in the country.
On Wednesday, police raided a house in Ruiru where they unearthed over Ksh32 billion, both in local and foreign currency.
Among those arrested were Joseph Munyao and Nancy Muthoni.
In the developing saga, Joseph Waswa, a man accused of impersonating President Uhuru Kenyatta was mentioned as a key suspect in the fake money racket, with reports indicating that the former sports CS was a close friend to the suspect.
On his part, he dismissed the accusations claiming that being a friend with someone didn't make them his business partners
“What is wrong with me being a friend to somebody? Does that mean I involve myself in everything he does? After all, Waswa is a friend to several high-ranking politicians in this country,” he told People Daily.
Latest reports had linked the house in which the stash of fake cash was found to Echesa.
The controversial CS has also been held liable for the current unusable state of one of the country’s premier sports arena, Nyayo Stadium.
The ‘Raila is jealous of me’ statements
Mr Echesa was recorded alleging that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga was jealous of his appointment as the Sports CS.
“I want to be very clear with you Raila. I respect you so much but please stop using my name carelessly. I am not your equal. The President was not incapacitated to have me appointed as CS even though he knew there were other qualified Professors,” Echesa remarked.
He even went a step further and dared the National Super Alliance party to fire him if he thought he had any sort of authority.
The former CS of sport accused Raila of using the ‘handshake’ as a veil for his sinister intentions to alienate some state officials including himself, from the president.
Echesa referred to Raila as a threat to Luhya unity.
