Once youngest MP, twice defeated, now governor

When Ochillo Ayacko was announced winner in the Migori governor race, he was surrounded by his family members, supporters and key allies, who stood by him after losing past elections twice.

Ayacko, who started his political activism while he was a law student at University of Nairobi, was first elected as a Member of Parliament for the larger Rongo constituency, which was later spilt into Awendo and Rongo constituencies.

“That was in the 1997 General Election and I was aged 34 years,” Ayacko said in an interview.

“But the public came and insisted I vie and dethrone Dalmas Otieno, who was by then a ruling party Kanu incumbent for a decade and a Cabinet minister. The task looked huge but we did it.” 

He said his political ideology was shaped from his law background with the need “to fight for a small person, somebody who is downtrodden. It started from activism to establish student leadership from a tyrant. It has shaped me throughout”.

Born on September 10, 1968 in Olare village, Awendo constituency, Ayacko went to local primary schools before proceeding to Homa Bay and Alliance High schools for his secondary education, and later to University of Nairobi.

He started a law firm in Rongo town, where he gained popularity and despite being young and broke, the public encouraged him to join the fray in the backdrop of a push by the opposition against Kanu in the area.

“I picked on what the public needed and rode to Parliament and was re-elected in 2002,” he said.

“And because of loyalty, push for rights, putting God ahead and consulting with voters and colleague saw me appointed to Cabinet by former President Mwai Kibaki.”

BUILDING CREDENTIALS

Ayacko headed the Ministry of Energy and that of Gender and Sports, where he helped create the first commissions and councils on gender, disability and youths, and pushed through the rural electrification programme.

“Under Kanu, it was common to instigate tribal conflict along borders to disrupt voting, and this was the case along our border with Kisii. I pushed through starting public day schools across the border and others in Rongo despite not having a CDF kitty then,” Ayacko said.

In the 2007 General Election, he lost to Dalmas Otieno, his first loss in his political career. It made him keep away from elective politics and join the corporate world, which took him to the African Union as commissioner on nuclear energy for three years.

He also served in boards and as CEO of Kenya Water Institute and Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board for six years and legal advisor to South Sudan presidency.

“This is also a period when I took my second degree from University of Nairobi, another from Montpellier in France and finally a doctorate from USIU. It was a period I had for soul-searching and reflecting a lot,” he said.

In 2013 when members of the public approached him to vie as governor on the onset of devolution, he declined after ODM offered the mandate to Prof Edward Akong’o, who was defeated by outgoing Governor Okoth Obado on a PDP ticket.

He said in the last polls, while most politicians were afraid to take on an incumbent because of fear of facing a well-oiled campaign, Ayacko said he vied on an Independent ticket and lost an elective post for a second time.

“I have lost twice in elections, but I have learnt to see things positively since all my decisions are based on the need to seek righteousness and to ensure wananchi get the best,” he said.

“I vied as governor because of poor leadership and runaway corruption, cronyism and discrimination under Obado.”

WORK BEGINS

In 2018, he was elected as senator in a by-election, which was caused by death of radio journalist Ben Okello.

In his second stab at the governor seat, Ayacko and his team fashioned his campaigns to directly address people in small units of age, professional, tribe, clans and even voting blocs to get people to be involved in his administration.

“I want to thank the people of Migori for this mandate. I thank my competitors for giving me a run for the victory,” he said in his acceptance speech.

“I heard their voice and will strive to implement all alternatives, including those I got in campaigns.”

Ayacko said his main agenda will be to run the county government as a CEO to ensure all workers end corruption, pilferage and all those in authority will be appraised on what service they can deliver to people.

“Under me, I will want a public servant that is effective and efficient especially on service to people,” he said.

“I wish to have an executive to be charged on what he delivered to the public through public-based budgets.”

In his campaigns, he pledged to started Migori's first tea factory and introduce tea farming, apart from improving agriculture and boosting infrastructure in hospitals and roads network.

Ayacko was announced winner by the IEBC county returning officer Ben Moseti. The ODM candidate got 175,226 votes.

He was followed by DAP-K candidate John Pesa, who had 126,171. Former Rongo MP Dalmas Otieno, who was the Jubilee party candidate, garnered 21,174 votes.