Swalehe is a research officer and laboratory scientist at the Ifakara Health Institute, specializing in the identification of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes using molecular techniques such as PCR. He began his journey with the Institute as a volunteer in 2018.

In his role, Swalehe supports various malaria projects, utilizing his expertise in identifying malaria parasites with qPCR and ELISA techniques and analyzing mosquito blood-feeding habits using Blood Meal ELISA. 

In 2021, Swalehe joined the CDCI project, where he gained extensive knowledge in HIV care. This included monitoring treatment effectiveness through CD4 count and viral load testing using BD FACS Presto and Real-Time PCR, conducting HIV drug resistance testing with Sanger sequencing, monitoring liver and kidney safety by measuring ALT and creatinine levels, and diagnosing opportunistic infections such as Hepatitis, Syphilis, and Cryptococcal meningitis. He also contributed to the TB CAPT project, investigating TB diagnosis using specimens such as sputum, urine, stool, and tongue swabs. Currently, Swalehe collaborates on the IDSP project with CDCI, studying pre-treatment HIV drug resistance mutations from 2008 to 2018 using Illumina Next Generation Sequencing.

Swalehe's other contributions include publishing numerous projects under the CDCI and Ifakara Health Institute Core Project, improving the performance and quality of the Ifakara branch laboratory through the implementation of a Quality Management System, supporting the achievement of ISO 15189:2012 accreditation for the Ifakara branch laboratory, and introducing the capability to diagnose malaria parasites using Real-Time PCR in the laboratory.

Swalehe holds a BSc in Biotechnology and Laboratory Science from Sokoine University of Agriculture, obtained in 2017. He is an active member of the Biotechnology and Laboratory Science Association (BLSA).