Professor Sam Ongeri stamped his authority on Kisii politics when he convincingly clinched the senatorial seat in 2017 having spent five years in the political cold.
At 79 years, the former Cabinet Minister had been written off from Kisii politics. However, as a shrewd politician he has always been, he had other plans- change his party affiliation.
In what took many by surprise, Prof Ongeri who had been Jubilee's point man in the region decamped to Raila Odinga-led ODM party in what was seen as a calculated move not to irk the voters who rejected him in 2013 in favor of Chris Obure- a key Raila ally at the time.
With Obure going for the Governor seat, the Senate seat was Prof Ongeri's to lose as he was facing off with a political novice in Jubilee's Charles Nyachae who was seen as his biggest threat.
Riding on ODM and Raila's popularity in the region, the former MP was on the right track to political recovery. And it happened.
After the August 8 poll, the former Kenyan Ambassador to the UN-HABITAT romped to a comfortable victory. The painful memories of 2013 were over and 'king' of Kisii was back.
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