Sacking of former Sports minister Rashid Echesa continues to elicit emotions among Luhya leaders with former Kakamega senator Bonnie Khalwale tasking President Uhuru Kenyatta to explain why he relieved him off duties.
A fortnight ago, Uhuru sacked Echesa and replaced him with Amina Mohammed but in the Special Gazette notice, the Head of State did not give reasons prompting his decision.
In a video circulating on social media, Khalwale, who has since backed DP William Ruto's presidential seat, said the president was treating the Luhya community unfairly in his government.
"Echesa has not been mentioned in any scandal. The sports ministry is clean unlike other departments. The president should tell us why he only found it appropriate to sack Echesa. Let him come out and tell us what he did wrong," Khalwale said on Sunday.
Mr Echesa is a close ally of DP William Ruto and became the first minister in Uhuru's regime to be sacked. Previously, Uhuru only replaced ministers without issuing any notice with regard to their fate. Kajiado governor Joseph Lenku is an example.
On Saturday in Kakamega, Mr Echesa insisted that he was relieved off his duties because he's a son of a peasant, adding that he would bounce back in future despite many people mocking him.
"If I were James Orengo or Raila Odinga's son, I would have been spared by the president. I never committed any wrong. Just because my father was not known beyond Shibale, I was chased out of government," he noted.
Former University of Nairobi Vice Chancellor Prof George Magoha, who hails from Siaya County, was nominated to the cabinet as Education minister to fill the gap left by Echesa.
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