President William Ruto has announced the appointment of Rashid Echesa, the former Sports Cabinet Secretary, as the Chairperson of the Kenya Water Towers Agency Board.
This decision was communicated through a gazette notice dated May 19, 2023. Echesa's term in this position will span a period of three years, beginning on May 19, 2023.
Previously, Rashid Echesa served as a Cabinet Minister during retired President Uhuru Kenyatta's second term in office. However, on March 1, 2019, he was relieved of his ministerial duties as part of a Cabinet reshuffle. This reshuffle was prompted by a series of corruption allegations that had plagued the Sports department at the time, implicating Echesa.
Nevertheless, President Ruto has now entrusted Echesa with the responsibility of leading the Kenya Water Towers Agency Board, indicating a renewed confidence in his capabilities.
Let's take a small trip to Echesa's biography.
Rashid Echesa was born in Shubale, a region in Kakamega County, Kenya. He grew up in a modest household with parents who worked as a charcoal burners and a local seller of sweet bananas.
Echesa's educational background became known to the public during his vetting process to become a Cabinet Secretary when it was revealed that he attended Shubale Primary School. Unfortunately, he had to drop out at the seventh grade due to a lack of school fees. Despite this, he possessed qualifications that impressed former CJ Muturi and his team, leading to his nomination approval.
Following his departure from school, Echesa took on various simple jobs to make ends meet. He worked as a casual laborer at Mumias Sugar Factory, where he loaded bags of sugar. He also began his political career in the Western region, serving as the youth league leader under the Orange Democratic Movement. He gradually gained recognition within the party and garnered the support of Raila Amollo Odinga, the party leader.
Later on, Echesa switched his allegiance to the Jubilee Party and was nominated to be the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Sports and Heritage. He held this position for a little over a year before being replaced by Amina Mohammed.
In terms of his personal life, Rashid Echesa recently made headlines when he assaulted an IEBC agent and went into hiding. Due to his ownership of firearms, he was considered armed and dangerous until he surrendered for due charges and procedures. He turned himself in and was arrested, subsequently being held at Kiambu police station. Despite the police's opposition, he was granted a Ksh 1 million cash bail, and his case is scheduled to be heard on April 9th of this year. Information regarding his family remains undisclosed as he prefers to keep them out of the public eye.
Rashid Echesa has attempted to revive the struggling Mumias Sugar Company, where he initially started his career, but his efforts were unsuccessful. He currently resides in a luxurious house in Karen, Nairobi, and owns several vehicles, including a Mercedes Benz and a Range Rover.
Content created and supplied by: TheLowerEasternTimes (via Opera News )
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