In a Rare Display of Unity, Rashid Echesa Defends Raila

In the current Bukhungu Stadium rally standoff, former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa took the unprecedented step of backing former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

On Tuesday, December 28, Echesa turned his guns on Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi for the behavior of some of his friends while speaking to citizens of the Western Region.

The former CS argued vehemently that it was wrong for Mudavadi, a Presidential candidate, to enable his friends to prevent Raila's Azimio la Umoja rally from taking place at the stadium.

"I'd like to inform Musalia Mudavadi that, with all due respect, he and I have both served as Ministers. I feel compelled to correct him. We will not tolerate a leader that stokes tensions between the Luhya Nation and other tribes.

"Recently, I observed members of the African National Congress (ANC) telling Kenyans at a news conference that they cautioned Raila against having a rally in Western Kenya," he said.

Echesa said that, despite their political disagreements, he and the previous Prime Minister always resolved their conflicts in a friendly manner.

"You can't want to be President of the United States while sowing splits between your tribe and others. I've had political differences with Raila, but I've never stopped him from visiting Western.

"Raila has never stopped me from going to Nyanza," the former Cabinet Secretary said.

His comments came in the wake of a feud between ANC member and Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala and COTU president Francis Atwoli.

It all started when Malala pledged to prevent Francis Atwoli, the former Prime Minister and Secretary-General of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), from entering the Bukhungu Stadium on December 31.

Atwoli immediately reacted, claiming to be the driving factor behind Malala's political success.

The Senator was then called by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), who surrendered to police.

Malala, on the other hand, stated that his statements had been taken out of context and that he had not meant for them to elicit strong emotions in the public.