A former Deputy Governor has sent a plea to President William Ruto, years after leaving office. Caleb Temba Amaswache, who served as Vihiga County’s first Deputy Governor under former Governor Moses Akaranga between 2013 and 2017, is now selling firewood in Luanda town to make ends meet and support his family.
The former county official has ventured into the firewood business, supplying fuel to local hotels to sustain himself.
All that remains from his time in office are portraits showing him alongside senior government officials — memories of a past life in leadership.
In an interview with Citizen TV, Amaswache opened up about the tough times he has faced since exiting public service. He described his current situation as undeserving, given his previous service to the county.
Amaswache sends plea to President Ruto
He called on President Ruto to consider the plight of former public servants, noting that he is struggling to pay bills and support his children’s education.
“I need a job. I’m asking His Excellency William Ruto to consider those who were in government at one given time. We are all Kenyans and the President should take care of all of us,” he told Citizen.
“I don’t have enough capital. I have a daughter who’s going to school, and I need Ksh200,000 for a start.”
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Amaswache revealed that his past efforts to secure employment have been unsuccessful.
He cited a recent attempt to apply for the position of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Commissioner, noting that he was not shortlisted for the ongoing interviews.
Emphasizing that power is fleeting, he urged current leaders to treat others with respect, regardless of their status.
“My advice to those in power is to respect and protect those who previously served in office. Today you could be in office, tomorrow you could not,” the former DG added.
“When you’re in power, everything looks flashy, everyone respects you, but when you are out of power, that’s when you discover the true reflection of things. People will not pick up your calls because they don’t need you.”
Deported from Singapore
Back in April 2015, while still in office, Amaswache was forced to address reports of his deportation from Singapore.
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Speaking to journalists at the county headquarters in Mbale, the former Deputy Governor explained that he was put on a flight back to Nairobi after failing to produce a return ticket and documentation authorizing his stay in the country.
Amaswache was also serving as the Acting County Executive for Land, Housing, and Urban Development. He clarified that he had traveled to Singapore to attend the Sixth Annual Affordable Housing Conference.
“I departed from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on April 13 and arrived on April 14 at around 2.30am. During the security check at Changi International Airport, I realized I had forgotten to pack documents for entry into Singapore and the security officers declined me entry,” he said.
“Efforts by a key member of the committee that organized the conference to convince the officers to let me into the country were futile. The return flight took 17 hours instead of the normal 13, resulting in me arriving in Nairobi on April 16 very tired.
For accountability purposes, the former Deputy Governor said he would refund the per diem allocated for the foreign trip—approximately Ksh445,000—along with the cost of the one-way air ticket.
He further noted that the return ticket had been covered by the Singapore government.
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