His stint as a cabinet secretary was short lived and expectedly so. Former Sports, Culture and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa Mohammed was a bloat in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government whose appointment was grounded on politics of the day rather than competence. For beginners, the combative politician and former ODM youth leader dropped out of primary school ‘due to school fees challenges’.
Early Years
Richard Echesa formative years can be traced in Shibale, Mumias West constituency. Contradicting Echesa’s narrative that he dropped out of school due to lack of school fees, his former headteacher at Shibale Primary School Nicholas Wanguche claimed the politician just dropped out of school for no apparent reason. He was to later join the Mumias Sugar sporting facility to train as a boxer. According to his former boxing coach Tom Omboka, the young Richard Echesa was a fast learner who impressed in the ring. His prowess saw him represent his team in major competitions. The combative politician went on to join the prisons team only to return to his home county to try his hands in business.
Controversy
Rashid appointment as a CS on 26 January 2018 by Uhuru came as a surprise to many and an experiment that went awfully wrong. He effortlessly jumped from one controversy to the next and in quick succession. Even before he was appointed as a CS, Echesa led a controversial lifestyle not befitting the position he was given by the head of state. He, for example, was accused of conning a widow of her husband property that included a Land Cruiser VX, a new Volkswagen Passat and a brand new Mark X. To make matters worse, he slept with the widow’s daughter. In his defense he said:
“I am human, and she is of age, lakini kama ningekuwa nakula huyo msichana, hio mambo iko na uhusiano gani kwa hii maneno ya gari? Hapana, mimi sijakula msichana wake, ni jina anataka kuniharibia.” (loosely translated: If I had an affair with that lady, what does that have to do with the cars? No, I haven’t had an affair with that lady, they want to tarnish my name)
Pakistani Dancers
Eight Pakistani dancers were flown into the country under unclear circumstances with the blessings of Sports CS Rashid Echesa in what was seen as a case of human trafficking.
Nude charade
The former CS embarrassed Kakamega senator Cleophas Malala by paying journalists to photoshop images of his nemesis in bed with a woman. The journalists were arrested and later admitted to being in the payroll of Echesa.
32 billion Fake currency racket
This was probably the final stroke that broke Uhuru’s back. Kes 32 billion in local and foreign currency was linked to a bosom buddy of Echesa-Joseph Waswa. The house were the fake currency was stashed was said to belong to the businessman cum politician. His friend Waswa is suspected to have connected a city businessman by impersonated Uhuru Kenyatta.
Richard Echesa Net worth
Before he was approved as the Sports CS, Echesa told the parliamentary committee that his net worth was kes40 million. Our estimates, however, put his net worth at over kes200 million.
Echesa served as the Sports CS for 13 months. Next
