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After serving a full term in office as the Deputy Governor for Vihiga county with a plum salary and other perks, few could imagine that Caleb Amaswache would be appealing for help and eking out a living by selling firewood.
A good day sees Amaswache who was once accustomed to the trappings of power as the second most powerful person in the county make Sh300.
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From 2013 all through to 2017 saw him serve as the first governor of Vihiga County, Moses Akaranga’s deputy with chase cars, body guards and a good salary.
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Change in fortunes, decline in status & daily status
2017 elections marked a turning point after ODM’s Dr. Wilberforce Ottichilo floored Akaranga and Amaswache, who contested on a PPK ticket marked the beginning of his decline in status and the end of the fine life that he lived while in office.
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Opening up on his struggles in an interview with Citizen TV less than ten years after exiting office, Asamwache appealed for assistance while highlighting some of his pressing financial needs that have seen him hit the streets of Lwanda market to sell firewood.
I do not have enough capital. There are people who want to sell me logs, but I do not have the money. The money I get, I split it, and pay school fees. I have a daughter set to join university, and I need Sh200,000 for a start. She has to go there.
Reflecting on the relationships he established and the contacts he made while holding the high office, Amaswache contends that not all were genuine as friends who once shared a table with him have gone silent and no longer pick his calls, leaving him to his devices.
When you're in power, everything looks flashy, everything looks good, and everybody respects you, and though they might not be genuine, they will still tell you a lot of good things. But when you are out of power, that is when you will know the true colours of people who were around you
Honest service
He appealed to the government to come to his aid, noting that he played his part as an honest servant and a leader who did not use the opportunity to amass wealth and loot public property.
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I do not see how, as a former deputy governor, I can just be walking on foot, the county government of Vihiga should give me a vehicle. I need a job. I'm asking His Excellency William Ruto to consider those who were once in government. We are all Kenyans, and the President should take care of all of us
His plea resonated well with a section of netizens who lauded him for not using his term to loot county resources as often the case with politicians, many of whom face endless court battles after a looting spree.
His story is a sharp contrast to that of most politicians who upon losing elections, end up being recycled into plum government jobs or continue wielding influence and political sway that they use to their advantage in business or career, guaranteeing them a continuation of the luxurious life.
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Responsibilities that he took care of with ease and which he took for granted such as food and paying school fees for his children have now turned into tough choices for Amaswache who now has to choose between using his income to buy food or paying school fees for his children.