Former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has weighed in on Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa’s recent attacks on opposition leader Raila Odinga, throwing his weight behind the CS.
Speaking during a funeral service in Vihiga on Saturday, the youthful Cabinet Minister accused Raila of planning his downfall and seeking his ouster.
But in an interview on Milele FM on Wednesday, Khalwale claimed that the CS was most likely responding to Raila’s allies who, he said, have been mistreating him.
He said that Echesa was hitting back at a section of pro-Raila leaders from the Luhya region, who, he said, have been mocking him over his education credentials.
‘’Echesa alikuwa anawajibu marafiki wa Raila ambao wanamtusi eti awache kazi ili arudi akasome. Hata hivyo, huenda Raila anahusika (he was responding to those telling him to go back to school. Raila, however, is most likely behind the attacks),’’ he said.
He defended the CS said to only have Primary school education, urging his critics to give him the benefit of doubt and assess his workability and not education background.
Khalwale added that he will rise up against any attempt to substitute Echesa with another person, urging the government to instead allocate the region another slot in the cabinet.
‘’I will not accept any reshuffle to switch Rashid with another person even if the new nominee is from Western,’’ he said.