How Ruto’s mission to block Achesa arrest failed miserably

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Details have now emerged on how Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa and Matungu MP Justus Murunga tried to escape an elaborate police dragnet set to have then arrested by using Deputy President William Ruto’s convoy on Friday.

While MP Murunga managed to escape, Echesa was caught and arrested in Kakamega in a dramatic scene. Simultaneously, the Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala was also apprehended on Friday in connection with the killings in Kisumu.

On Saturday, Murunga surrendered himself to police in Kakamega after police gave him six-hour ultimatum to emerge from his hideout.

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Malala, a first-time senator was ambushed at Sovereign Hotel where he was having a meeting. He was taken to Nyanza Regional Police Headquarters for questioning.

Mayoni MCA Libinus Oduor was also arrested on Friday. The leaders are expected to appear in court on Monday. The arrests come barely three days after Interior CS Fred Matiang’i ordered the police to investigate all people who were linked to the murders.

Murunga is the third high profile politician to be arrested in connection with the killings in Matunga.  They were being sought over the recent spate of murders in Matungu, Kakamega County where more than 10 people have died in one month.

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Echesa was arrested moments after he tried to clandestinely leave a meeting in Malinya, Ikolomani where DP William Ruto had addressed area leaders including Bonny Khalwale who later announced his defection to Jubilee party.

Echesa was taken to the Kakamega Central Police Station and was reportedly transferred from the station at midnight to unknown police station for interrogation over the recent Matungu killings that left 12 people dead.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are holding Malala at the Kisumu Central Police Station where his health is said to have deteriorated according to his lawyer Charles Malalah. He is said to have been denied access, according to the lawyer, his diabetic and High Blood Pressure medicines.

At least 30 people were injured in the Matungu attacks that saw Interior CS Fred Matiangi send officers from the General Service Unit (GSU) to Kakamega County.

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The area OCS and the AP officers were also transferred to other areas and immediately replaced. Echesa was sacked on March 1 this year after a short stint at the Sports ministry.

His tenure was riddled with scandals which were seen to be what pushed the hand of President Uhuru Kenyatta to remove him from office. At one time, eight Pakistani women, who were said to have been flown into the country with the assistance of Echesa, were deported.

It was suspected that they were victims of human trafficking. Echesa later picked a fight with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga swearing to never call him “Baba” and even daring the political titan to sack him.

“I want to dare you Tinga wherever you are, come and sack me, kuja unifute. Kama ni wewe appointing authority Kenya hii, come and sack me please. I have a very young family to look after…” he said during a past public rally.

Echesa’s comments angered many and this came to the fore escalated on August 6, 2018, after Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi brawled with him at Kisumu International Airport. Sources at the airport revealed that the two engaged in a near-fistfight after Mr Atandi told the CS to “go to school.”

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