Why Uhuru sacked Sports CS Rashid Echesa
Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Recently the President warned his Cabinet to stop politicking
Mr Echesa failed to read the signs of the time after President Kenyatta embraced Mr Raila Odinga following the March 9 handshake
The CS has had endless gaffes, the most notable one being his public spat with Mr Odinga.
- Uhuru was unhappy that Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s tomb, which fell under Mr Echesa’s docket, was not well maintained.
The first sign that the sacked Sports CS Rashid Echesa's continued stay in the Cabinet was no longer tenable emerged when President Uhuru Kenyatta publicly took him on at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga mausoleum in Bondo, last year.
The President, who was accompanied by ODM leader Raila Odinga, was unhappy that the tomb, which fell under Mr Echesa’s docket, was not well maintained.
Those who were present said Mr Odinga had to intervene to save the minister from the president’s wrath.
The CS has had endless gaffes, the most notable one being his public spat with Mr Odinga. He failed to read the signs of the time after his boss embraced the former Prime Minister following the March 9 political truce at Harambee House, Nairobi.
“We have one Government led by Uhuru and William Ruto and those are the only people I will pledge my loyalty to and not to you, Raila Odinga. I want to dare you Raila, if you have the appointing authority, come and sack me,” he said.
And recently when Mr Kenyatta warned his Cabinet members to stop politicking, the CS was believed to be one of the targets.
Mr Echesa was fond of addressing rallies in western Kenya compared to his frequency of making policy statements.
