Former CS Rashid Echesa has written to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations seeking release from police custody to enable him seek medical attention.
In a letter to DCI boss Mohamed Amin dated March 29, Echesa through lawyer Danstan Omari said he was on medication at the time of his arrest after being “diagnosed with serious medical condition”.
He said the DCI should direct the Officer Commanding Muthaiga Police Station to allow him hospital visits for review as stipulated in his doctor’s medical report.
“Our client, while honouring lawful summons, was arrested on March 27, 2024, on allegations of self-abduction. He was thereafter detained at Muthaiga Police Station for more than 24 hours, which is against our client’s rights as protected by the constitution,” the letter reads.
It’s copied to the Inspector General of Police.
“At the time of his arrest, our client was undergoing medication for he had previously sought medical advice and had been diagnosed with serious medical conditions,” Omari said.
The former CS is being held by police officers at Muthaiga Police Station.
Omari said other him and lawyer Cliff Ombeta, Echesa has been denied access to his doctors, family and friends.
He further said the continued detention of the former CS will make his health deteriorate adding that any form of justice related to his arrest cannot possibly take precedence over his health.
He added that Echesa should be granted cash bail to attend to medical attention in the coming days and to his full recovery.
The lawyer said Echesa is not a flight risk and is willing to subject himself to a fair process and intends to cooperate with investigations.
“He is a well-known Kenyan Citizen, a former cabinet secretary in this county and has a known place aboard. Going forward, he intends to obey any other summons and give any information as required by investigators in this matter,” Omari said.
He said his client had been detained to help with investigations into claims of abduction.
“We have been allowed to see him. We understand they are investigating claims of extortion and abduction which we don’t know more about,” he said.
“There is no complainant in this case. He is the one who reported the matter in the first place and now he has been reported here.”
Echesa is said to have been picked up from his house in Nairobi on Thursday and taken to Muthaiga police station.
On Thursday at about 4pm, he is said to have been picked from Muthaiga and taken to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations where Omari followed him there.
