For a man who has had an illustrious political career like former Rongo MP Dalmas Otieno, no one expected him to trounced by a political novice.
However, trouble befell the once powerful KANU-era Minister who was once a dominant political force in Nyanza, and he was trounced by little-known Paul Abuor in last year's poll.
Abuor challenged Otieno in 2013 but lost. He never gave up but waited for his time to come in 2017, and when the opportunity presented itself, the seat was his to lose. But how did he do it?
By 2014, one year after his re-election, Otieno's relationship with his sponsor party ODM had been damaged beyond repair. His Kalausi movement that was meant to clip Raila Odinga's political wings had rattled the former Prime Minister's allies and as such, the Rongo MP found himself on the receiving end.
During the 2015 Homa Bay Senatorial race by-election, he backed former MP Philip Okundi for the seat against ODM's candidate Moses Kajwang. But Okundi lost. From there, his fate was sealed and Abuor emerged.
He maintained an uncharacteristically low political profile. For the next one year, he never set his foot to Rongo. With the developments, Abuor assumed the role of Rongo "MP" and became the face of ODM in the constituency.
Otieno's attempt to reinvent his political fortunes was dealt a blow as he lost to the new sheriff in town, Abuor, in the ODM nominations and in the subsequent August 8 contest.
When the history of Rongo is written, Abuor's name will probably appear somewhere for bringing down a giant.