Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa has weighed in on the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta, and his longtime political rival Raila Odinga.
Speaking on Saturday in Mumias, Echesa addressed his message to the Head of State, saying the handshake was behind some of the problems that the people of Western Kenya are grappling with.
The Western Kenya politician rattled off a list of industries from the region that had collapsed or were on the brink of collapsing.
"The handshake was not bad but we are beginning to think that the handshake is behind some of the problems that our people in Western Kenya are battling with. Your Excellency Mr president, with all due respect, our industries including Mumias, Nzoia, and Panpaper are collapsing. (Handshake haikuwa mbaya lakini hii handshake tunafikiria labda ndio inaleta matatizo kwa watu wetu wa mkoa wa magharibi. Mweshimiwa rais kwa heshima kubwa, vitega uchumi zetu hapa Western province ikiwemo Mumia, Nzoia, Panpaper zimeanguka)," Rashid Echesa said. (2:00-2:17)
Echesa has been one of the critics of the handshake and its by-product, the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
He was among the legislators who boycotted the BBI meeting that was held at the port city of Mombasa on Saturday, choosing to hold a rival meeting in Mumias instead.