Salim Swaleh who was the Director of press Service in the office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary Salim Swaleh wept in a recorded video days after it was reported he had been replaced.
The former NTV news anchor has served in the plum position at the office of Musalia Mudavadi for one year and six months until he was accused of trying to defraud some foreigners Sh5.8 million.
The offence is said to have been committed on diverse dates between June 4, 2014, and June 22, 2014, at Mudavadi’s office.
Salim and four others conspired to defraud the foreigners by pretending that they were in a position to secure tender for construction of two stadia in Kenya. The case is going on in court.
Since Swaleh was arraigned in court, he has been silent until last week it was reported Mudavadi had picked Standard newspaper political writer Jacob Ng’etich to replace Swaleh .
He recorded himself begging forgiveness from Mudavadi saying his efforts to reach him through emissaries had failed.
“Your Excellency, you have been my father figure for the longest time that I’ve known you. We’ve built an unmatched trust between us and for the last one and a half I have served you, served your good office, and served you with unmatched zeal. I broke the trust and I’m so sorry about it. I’m truly remorseful about it,” he said in the video.
Swaleh said the past months have been difficult for him and he has been unable to even get out of his house.
He said this is because of the publicity he received and has even thought about taking his own life.
“The last month has been so difficult for me. I’ve been unable to even walk out because of the kind of publicity I received, everything people said about me just threw me into some unchartered territory. A lot of things have been running in my mind, very bad things, sometimes I feel like taking my own life,” he stated.
The former Television news anchor added he lost everything in a flash and that the bills have also become a big challenge to him as they are piling up.
Swaleh stated that his salary stopped and he has loans that need servicing.
“It’s end month, bills are piling up, salary stopped abruptly, I have loans, please find it in your heart to forgive me,” he said.
“Secondly, please help end this so that I can pick up the small pieces left and see where I can begin. With the kind of bad publicity I got, it is almost impossible to get another place to work. Please have mercy on me.”
