Salasya reveals he did manual work before winning parliamentary seat
Mumias East Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Salasya has opened up about the challenging manual jobs he undertook before emerging victorious in Parliament.
In a candid post shared on his official X account on Thursday, July 10, 2025, Salasya shared a throwback photo of himself digging on a farm and revealed that he used to do manual work to sustain himself back in 2019.
You might also like
The youthful parliamentarian, in addition, said that he always feels bad when people look down on others just because they are well off and consider maids, watchmen, and gravediggers’ jobs useless.
“Mimi ndio huyu 2019.Kazi ni kazi. I used to do manual work to sustain myself, now see. I always feel bad when someone looks down on others just because they are up there, and those maids, watchmen and grave diggers are useless to them,” Salasya revealed.
He added that people would despise those jobs because they had never been there and urged everyone to respect every hustle, even that of a toilet cleaner.
“You will despise those jobs because you were never there. Let us respect each hustle, even that of a toilet cleaner,” he added.
Life before parliament
This is not the first time he has opened up about his struggles before winning the seat. Salasya had earlier disclosed that after losing his 2017 bid, he turned to manual work, pushing hand carts, hawking bicycles, and tutoring to make ends meet.
He later became a voluntary lecturer at Sigalagala Polytechnic on a modest Ksh 13,000 monthly stipend, of which little remained after essential expenses.
Poverty in Luhya land
This comes after Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya stated that the Luhya community is the poorest in the country.
Speaking during an interview with a local media station on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, Natembeya linked the poverty ratio in the Luhya community to politics.
“Someone gives birth in Muranga, and they immediately want a house girl from Vihiga. Someone wants a watchman; they will look for a Luhya. Grave diggers are Luhyas, and it’s because of how we do our politics,” he fumed during an interview with a local radio station on July 9, 2025.
While discussing the political dynamics in Western Kenya, Natembeya highlighted how leaders exploit poverty and illiteracy to maintain control, a strategy that aligns with historical patterns of political manipulation in developing regions where economic vulnerability can be leveraged for political gain.
“Because of poverty, our people have been forced to blindly follow, worship, and clap for leaders who give them handouts. The time has come to stand up and liberate our people from poverty,” Natembeya asserted.
