Former sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa was Saturday rushed to Karen Hospital after his health condition allegedly deteriorated.
He had been detained at Muthaiga police cells since Thursday night pending his arraignment on Tuesday over claims of extortion and staged abduction.
A section of political leaders and his legal team visited him at the hospital.
Police said they will guard him at the hospital ahead of his arraignment.
Echesa had asked the police to release him from custody to allow him to seek medical attention.
In a letter to the Inspector General of Police dated March 29, Echesa through his lawyer Danstan Omari wants to be granted cash bail to “continue with his journey towards full recovery.”
“This letter is to request the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to authorize the Officer Commanding Muthaiga Police Station to take our client to hospital so that his doctor can review his medical condition as had been directed in our client’s medical documents,” the letter says in part.
Echesa was on March 27, arrested for his alleged role in an extortion ring targeting Kakamega governor Fernandes Barasa.
According to Omari, his client, who is also the chairperson of the Kenya Water Towers Agency, was arrested and initially taken to Muthaiga Police Station over charges of extortion and stage-managing an abduction.
The former CS, says his continued detention will make his health deteriorate.
He believes his health takes precedence over any form of justice related to his arrest.
“… that any form of justice related to his arrest cannot possibly take precedence over his health.”
According to the medical report he suffers from serious pneumonia and very high cholesterol which might lead to forming blood clots.
Furthermore, it says he is in real danger of pneumonia deteriorating and also of high cholesterol damaging his heart or blood vessels.
“Urgent treatment is advised.”
Echesa was taken to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Kiambu Road where he was grilled and later detained at Muthaiga cells.
The officers said Echesa has been evading arrest and efforts to grill him over the accusations and possible prosecution.
This came a week after a man police said was Echesa’s handler was Wednesday, March 20 charged in a Kibera Court for extorting over Sh240 million from Barasa.
William Simiyu Matere alias Elijah appeared before Kibera Senior Principal Magistrate Ann Mwangi where he was charged with two counts of demanding property with menace and conspiracy to commit a felony.
According to the prosecution, it is alleged that on diverse dates between December 2023 and the 18th day of March 2024 at an unknown place within the Republic of Kenya, jointly with others not before the court, with menaces demanded a total sum of Sh240 million from Fernandez Odinga Barasa.
The other count states that on the same date he jointly with others not before the court conspired together to commit a felony namely demanding property with menaces and extorting from Barasa over Sh240 million.
He denied the charges and was freed on a bond of Sh2 million with a surety of the same amount.
The prosecution intends to call four witnesses.
The drama broke with videos emerging online showing Echesa in handcuffs and in a thicket with ropes around his hands and legs.
Police say this was all stage-managed.
President William Ruto appointed Echesa to be the Chairperson of the Kenya Water Towers Agency Board.
According to a gazette notice dated May 19, 2023, Echesa will serve for a period of three (3) years, with effect from the 19th May 2023.
Echesa was appointed as Cabinet Minister in retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s second term as Head of State until March 1, 2019, when he was fired in a Cabinet reshuffle.
His removal as Cabinet Secretary came under a wave of corruption allegations that had dogged the Sports docket.
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