In a striking turn of supposedly daily doings, Caleb Amaswache, once the Deputy Governor of Vihiga County in Western, has been spotted selling firewood in Luanda town.
Amaswache, who served under former Governor Moses Akaranga, now supplies firewood to local hotels there to make ends meet.
In an interview with Citizen TV, he has described his life after politics as challenging, revealing difficulties in paying bills and supporting his daughter’s education.
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“I don’t have enough capital. I have a daughter who’s going to school, and I need Ksh200,000 for a start,” said Amaswache, who is the first Deputy Governor of Vihiga by virtue of holding office from 2013 to 2017.
His political journey wasn’t without controversy. In 2015, he was deported from Singapore for lacking proper entry documents, an incident that sparked calls for his resignation.
Though defended by Akaranga at the time, he would later get dropped into the 2017 General Elections – and even Wilber Ottichilo won.
Since then, Amaswache’s attempts to re-enter public service have been unsuccessful: Despite applying for various positions, even the recent commissioner’s role with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, he has not been shortlisted.
He is now appealing to President William Ruto for assistance and has advised him to consider the welfare of those who have previously served in government roles, and to nominate them when opportunities arise.
Reflecting on his experiences, the former Deputy Governor warned current leaders about the fleeting nature of power, noting that once out of office, “people will not pick up your calls because they don’t need you.”
His dramatic fall from grace to grass is a stark reminder of the precarious nature of political life in Kenya, where fortunes (include allegiance) can shift overnight.
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Life has no balance. My former deputy governor and also the first Deputy governor of vihiga county currently selling firewood is something if you could have said 10 years ago no one could have believed you.