45-year-old Brian Osewe is a proud firefighter who works at the fire department in Kisii County.
Osewe secured the job in 2008 after sending numerous applications to various counties.The father of five says he has remained loyal to his job despite the different challenges the department faces when responding to emergencies.His typical day as a county driver begins at 8am and ends at 5pm."I'm usually in my office by 8am waiting for an assignment and I leave work at 5pm in the evening. That is my schedule on days where no fire incidences have been reported,” said Osewe.He, however, notes that he is forced to adjust his schedule whenever emergencies occur.
Mr Osewe puts out a small fire. [Photo/ Brian Osewe]
“I’m always alerted whenever a fire incident is reported in the county. I respond to the cases regardless of whether I am on duty or not, or whether it’s late in the night or on a weekend,” said Osewe.The firefighter, who also owns rental houses in Kisii, said he used his salary of Sh45,000 to secure a loan to build the houses.He revealed that he collects a total of Sh54,000 per month from his tenants."With my salary, I was able to secure a loan and I am now a happy landlord," he said.Osewe says he uses his salary to pay school fees for his five sons; two of whom are in university, two in secondary school and his last born in primary school."Most of my money goes towards paying school fees for my sons, but my salary caters for that," said Osewe.He says the major challenge he faces in his line of duty is lack of proper and modern equipment to fight the fires.He noted that the fire department in the county usually faces sharp criticism and the firefighters sometimes insulted by residents due to the frequent breakdowns of the fire engines."Residents usually mock and insult us whenever we fail to respond to an emergency on time due to lack of proper equipment,” said Osewe.
He advised Kenyans to remain loyal to their jobs, noting that hard work is what will transform their lives.
"However difficult it may be, it is crucial to love your hustle and remain loyal to your job,” he added.
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