IG directive deadline elapses as ex-CS Echesa fails to surrender

Former Sports CS Rashid Echesa confronts IEBC official at Bulonga Primary School polling station in Matungu on March 4, 2021. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

The Inspector-General of Police directive to former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa to surrender to the police or be declared armed and dangerous elapsed on Friday afternoon.

IG Hillary Mutyambai in a statement had ordered Echesa to report to the nearest police station by 1pm on Friday or be declared armed and dangerous criminal. 

Echesa, however, was a no show by 3 pm with no police station reporting his whereabouts.

Echesa is on the run after he stormed Bulonga Primary School polling station in Khalaba ward and reportedly assaulted IEBC official whom he accused of throwing out United Democratic Alliance (UDA) agents in the just–concluded Matungu by-election. 

Echesa attacked Peter Okura, a presiding officer, accusing him of leading the mistreatment against UDA agents who were representing their candidate Alex Lanya.

Echesa went into hiding after the incident and police are yet to arrest him

Police on Thursday raided the former Sports Cabinet Secretary home at Shibale in Mumias West but did not find him.

UDA party accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of harassment of their agents in the Matungu by-election.

Echesa accused Okura of directing police to eject one of the UDA party candidate's agents out of the polling station in unclear circumstances.

ANC candidate Peter Nabulindo won the Matungu by-election after garnering14,257 votes, with his closest challenger, David Were of Orange Democratic Movement emerging second with 10,565 votes.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Returning Officer John Kirui declared Nabulindo the winner of the hotly contested by-election.

Third in the race to replace the late MP Justus Murunga was Lanya who garnered 5,513 votes.