Echesa heads back to Gigiri cells as police seek to detain him for 7 days

Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa was Monday detained in police custody ahead of a ruling on whether he should be released on bail.

Echesa was produced before a Kiambu court where police made an application seeking to detain him for seven days.

His legal team led by Evans Ondiek and Cliff Ombeta opposed the application and sought his release on bail.

They appeared before Chief magistrate Patricia Gichohi. Investigating officer Mishack Kagera swore an affidavit saying he is investigating use of violence during election period contrary to sec 65 of election Act 2011.

He said Echesa assaulted an Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission official Peter Juma Okura at Bulonga polling centre on March 4, 2021 in the just concluded Matungu by-election.

“The respondent in this matter owing to his nature of use of violence is likely to cause fear, intimidation thus interfering with witnesses who are yet for interview and statement recording,” read part of the affidavit.

Police argued they did not have enough time to investigate the issue and hence wanted seven days to do so.

After an argument in court by the defence, the magistrate ordered Echesa be returned to Gigiri police cells ahead of a ruling on if he should be held further or released on bail.

Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji gave the agencies 30 days to complete investigations into the drama and submit the file to his office with recommendations.

Haji said the report should capture all incidences of violence and other electoral malpractices especially in Matungu constituency within Kakamega county and London Ward in Nakuru County.

Echesa, who is an ally of Deputy President William Ruto, was arrested on Friday after he surrendered to police in Mumias.

He was booked at Kakamega police cells before he was taken to Nairobi.

This, according to police, was because his supporters were planning to storm the station.

Before his arrest, police had been looking for Echesa for questioning over election violence experienced in Matungu.

This was after he failed to surrender to police as directed by Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai.

A team went to his rural home but didn’t find him.

He however surrendered at about 3pm Friday in the company of his lawyer and was escorted to Kakamega police station under heavy security and detained  overnight.

Mutyambai had issued an ultimatum to former Echesa to surrender to police Friday by 1 pm following the incident where he was caught on camera assaulting an election official during the Matungu by-election on Thursday.

The police boss said if Echesa failed to surrender by 1pm Friday he will be treated “as an armed and dangerous criminal.”

Echesa went into hiding following the assault incident that occurred at the Bulonga polling station, with police launching a search for him.

Echesa slapped the IEBC officer accusing him of chasing one of their agents out of the polling station during voting.

The IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati had asked police to arrest and prosecute Echesa over the issue.

ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna too called on police to ensure all suspects who took part in acts of violence during the by election were prosecuted.

This came as interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said all firearm licenses issued to leaders involved in the chaos witnessed in Matungu, Kabuchai, Nakuru and other places will be suspended. He said the government will further seek to invoke Chapter Six of the Constitution and ensure the leaders don’t run for any elective posts.

Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala was grilled by the DCI and released on bond ahead of his arraignment on Wednesday over the chaos.Senator Samson Cherargei, MPs Didmus Barasa, Nelson Koech and Wilson Kogo were arrested over the chaos in Kabuchai in Bungoma County. They were charged with preparing to commit a felony. ends