Salim Swaleh, the former Director of Press at the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary in Kenya, has made an emotional appeal following his arrest in connection with a sophisticated fraud operation.
Speaking in a video, a visibly distressed Swaleh addressed his former superior, presumably Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, expressing deep remorse for his actions. “We built an unmatched trust between us. And for the last one and a half years… I served you with unmatched zeal. I broke the trust. I did. And I’m so sorry about it,” Swaleh said, his voice breaking with emotion.
The former press director, who was arrested on June 22, 2024, along with several others, is accused of facilitating a scam that targeted foreign visitors using government offices as a front. The operation allegedly involved falsifying identities and misusing official premises to lure victims into paying bribes.
Swaleh described the severe personal toll the scandal has taken on him. “The last one month has been so difficult for me. I’ve been unable to even walk out because of the kind of publicity I received,” he stated, adding, “Sometimes I feel like taking my own life. I lost everything in a blink of an eye.”
The ongoing legal process appears to be exacerbating Swaleh’s distress. He claimed, “Every time we go there, lawyers are on my neck. Police are on my neck. Everybody is extorting me left, right, centre. They think I have a lot of money.”
Swaleh’s plea included a request for mercy and assistance in ending the legal proceedings. “Please find it in your heart first to forgive me. Please help end this so that I can pick up the small pieces that I just left and see where I can begin,” he implored.
In the wake of this scandal, the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary has moved swiftly to fill the vacant position. Jacob Ng’etich, a veteran political writer from the Standard Newspaper, has been appointed as the new Director of Press Service. Ng’etich, with 19 years of experience in news reporting and political analysis, will oversee communication for Mudavadi’s executive office and his role as Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
