I will never call you Baba, CS Echesa tells Raila

Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa has lashed out at Opposition chief Raila Odinga, accusing him of pushing for his ouster from President Uhuru Kenyatta’s cabinet.

In widely circulated video, Echesa is captured claiming that Mr. Odinga has been holding meetings with Western Kenya leaders, informing them that Kenyatta is not pleased with him (Echesa).

Echesa’s remarks, which were made at a burial in Mumias, come in the wake of speculations of a looming Cabinet reshuffle.

“Raila Odinga stop mentioning my name. I am not your equal. The president was not stupid to appoint me in the Cabinet. He would have picked a professor but he settled on me, the son of a poor man.

“But now Raila Odinga is going round holding meetings with Western leaders, telling them that President Kenyatta wants Rashid Echesa out of Cabinet because he supports Ruto. Please Raila give me a break. I am not your equal,” a tough-talking Echesa said.

“We have one government led by the president and the deputy president and those are the only people I will pledge loyalty to. But not to you Raila Odinga. I will never call you Baba. My father died a poor man I even struggled to bury him.”

As if hinting at his possible removal, Echesa remained adamant saying he would not be cowed or intimidated.

“If I am ejected from Cabinet. I am ready to come back home. This is where I belong. But I want to tell Raila Odinga that with or without that Cabinet position, the Luhya community is fed up with him. Leave us alone,” he said.

“If Raila Odinga has become the appointing authority in this country, I dare him to sack me.”

In a recent interview with Citizen TV, Raila Odinga dismissed claims that he has influence in government decisions, following his unity deal with President Kenyatta.

In a tweet, ostensibly, directed at CS Echesa, ODM communications director Philip Etale tweeted: “It is stupid to imagine that Raila Odinga is the appointing authority. Infact, he has no business thinking about some people who are inconsequential. Let them make NOISE. The journey to unite Kenya is unstoppable.”