[Richard Onyonka in a past event. He has credited his victory to Raila Odinga. Photo/Abuga Makori]
Newly elected Kitutu Chache South MP Richard Onyonka of Ford Kenya admits that veteran politician Raila Odinga saved his political career.
The former ODM rebel faced resistance within the orange party when he made a comeback having courted President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee party for months.
"I briefly worked with Jubilee thinking that they will develop my region but I was mistaken. ODM rejected me but Odinga stood with me and advised me to look for a NASA friendly party," he recalls.
On Tuesday, Onyonka beat six other candidates to clinch the seat by scoring (10,122) 52 percent of votes cast with his close rival Antony Kibagendi scoring 5074 votes.
But a last minute endorsement from Odinga, despite ODM fielding a candidate handed him the famous victory that will be apparently his third term.
"He is selfless and sacrificed other NASA candidates for me. I must appreciate it also played a key role in my victory," he told reporters.
On February, Onyonka accused Samuel Omwando, the ODM candidate in the race and Kisii Women Representative Janet Ong'era of boxing him out of the party.
At his Ford Kenya party, Onyonka is the Deputy Party Leader thus an automatic substitute of Moses Wetangula.