Siaya county governor-elect James Orengo was on Friday noon airlifted to Nairobi to help Raila Odinga secure his presidential win.
Immediately after Orengo was declared governor-elect by County Returning Officer Catherine Bulinda, he dashed to the dusty Gombe airstrip on the outskirts of Siaya town where an aircraft was waiting.
Orengo and his closest aides all flew to Nairobi.
Only his deputy William Oduol remained behind with his grassroots soldiers.
"We cannot celebrate yet Raila's has not been secured," a voice announced to jubilant supporters through a public address system.
Unlike in past election cycles, Orengo has been conspicuously missing in Raila's presidential campaigns.
He was holed up in Siaya county for at least three months for his gubernatorial campaigns.
He was competing against former Rarieda constituency MP Nicholas Gumbo who was threatening to end his (Orengo's) political career.
But earlier Friday, Bulinda declared that he garnered 220,349 votes to defeat Gumbo's 147,558 votes.
