Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa has finally been arrested, a day after he was declared a wanted man for assaulting an electoral official in Matungu, Kakamega County.
Kahawa Tungu understands that Echesa was arrested on Friday evening, hours after the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai ordered him to surrender by 1pm or be “treated as an armed and dangerous criminal”.
Western Region Police Commander Peris Kimani confirmed to members of the press that Echesa was apprehended after presenting himself to police officers at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Mumias.
He was escorted to Kakamega police station under heavy security.
Read: Ex-Sports CS Rashid Echesa Caught On Camera Slapping IEBC Official (Video)
The former Cabinet Minister is likely to spend the weekend in police custody.
Earlier, Police Spokesperson Charles Owino, said in a statement, that Echesa went into hiding after assaulting an Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) presiding officer-in-charge of Bulonga Primary School polling station during the Matungu by-election on Thursday.
Echesa was captured on camera pulling Peter Okura’s mask before slapping him after an argument.
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In the infamous viral video, Echesa is heard complaining about the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) agents being chased from the polling centre.
“You were told by who? Our agents are outside the polling centre. You cannot keep our agents outside. Why are you chasing them outside?” Echesa posed.
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The victim is said to have stopped a UDA agent from making their way into the polling centre because they were not wearing a face mask.
IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati called for Echesa’s arrest saying the former CS should have lodged a complaint instead of taking matters into his own hands.
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