Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala perfectly embraced a popular saying that you do not beat a man who is already down by faulting President Uhuru Kenyatta for sacking former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa. Malala and Echesa have been loggerheads due to their Western Kenya politics supremacy battle that has seen them traded barbs during public rallies.
Despite the rivalry which would have ordinarily made Malala rejoice at the fall of his nemesis, the senator chose a different path and sympathised with Echesa, saying Uhuru’s move to sack the latter was misinformed and unfair. In his reaction to Uhuru’s decision to send Echesa home, Malala said the president had dealt the Luhya community a great blow by sacking the only CS from Kakamega county. “This a a great blow to the Luhya community.
Echesa’s slot was the only one we had in Kakamega county. The president should consider employing another individual from this county,” Malala said. Malala’s sentiments were echoed by Mumias East MP and National Assembly Majority Chief Whip Benjamin Washiali who termed Uhuru’s move ungrateful. According to Washiali, Echesa had done a lot to ensure Uhuru was reelected and the president should have tolerated him despite the CS’s shortcomings.
“We are displeased with this decision which shows the president doesn’t value us. Echesa was on the forefront of selling Jubilee to the electorate in 2017. It was tough selling the party in this region but Echesa’s loyalty and resilience helped us achieve the goal,” an agitated Washiali said. The legislator said the move by Uhuru to fire Echesa, a son of the Luhya community had not augured well with Jubilee members from the Luhya community and the party’s support base in Western Kenya. “Echesa has staunch followers in Western and beyond.
They will decide on the next move forward,” said the MP. Washiali accused a section of leaders from Western Kenya led by Centra Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) boss Francis Atwoli of scheming Echesa’s fall and mocked them to hold celebrations now that their ill prayers had been answered.