On Friday morning October 23, businesses in Mumias, Kakamega County came to a standstill upon receiving former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa months after his fake Ksh39 firearm deal probe.
In a video seen by Kenyans.co.ke, residents thronged the streets to welcome Echesa who greeted his supporters from the sunroof of a car as it maneuvered its way through the busy streets. Armed with placards, the residents chanted in support of the former cabinet secretary while dancing to the tune of various local songs.
"Karibu mheshimiwa Rashid (welcome sir Rashid) ", read one placard held by a resident as they rushed to the scene in an attempt to bump fists with the former cabinet secretary.
This comes months after he was arrested amid a probe into his role in a Ksh39 billion fake tender deal. Police apprehended Echesa on February 13, 2020, after allegedly getting into a fake contract with foreign investors dealing with military equipment whom he convinced he could help secure a lucrative multi-billion shilling Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) tender for arms and military surveillance technology.
He was accused of using the Office of the Deputy President and the signature, fraudulent or otherwise, of Defence Cabinet Secretary Amb. Monica Juma in a bid to seal the deal. He was along with three other individuals taken to Muthaiga Police Station.
They appeared before Magistrate Ken Cheruiyot and faced twelve counts including conspiracy to commit a felony, making a document without authority, obtaining money by false pretence and impersonating a public service officer.
In March, the hearing of the Sh39 billion fake military tender case against him and four others did not commence after the failure of the prosecution to supply the defence with relevant documents.
Senior Principal Magistrate Kennedy Cheruiyot directed a police officer's arrest after it emerged that vehicles and firearms that had been seized from the former CS had not been returned. Echesa, through his lawyer, told the court that he was yet to receive his car and firearms despite a directive from the court compelling the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to return the property.
The police had seized the items during a raid at his house in Karen, Nairobi, on February 13 and 15, 2020. Echesa sued the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for revoking his firearms license, confiscating two pistols and cars, including a Range Rover, in March. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions had appealed against the ruling compelling the DCI to return the property.
Watch the video below:
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