He is one of the most respected scholars in the region. But it is in politics that Kisumu Governor Peter Anyang' Nyong'o has made his impact felt both in his native Kisumu County and Kenya at large.
The "radical" Professor of the 1980s fiercely fought for multiparty democracy. But when conditions became tough, he had to flee the country. During the 1992 elections, he was elected Kisumu Rural MP and since then, he has become an elder in the Kenya's political scenes.
For the man who has always been on the right side of history, he was instrumental in ending KANU's 40-year grip in power as the NARC political juggernaut swept aside the party that had ruled the country since independence in 2002.
To confirm his political muscle, the man from Seme was overwhelmingly elected Kisumu Senator in 2013. But keen to correct the "mess" in the county, he went for Governor seat in 2017 as he trounced his predecessor Jack Ranguma.
For the 9 months he has been in office, the Makerere University-trained political scientist has proved his worth and that he is possibly what Kisumu had been missing.
His no nonsense approach to management has yielded results as he was recently ranked as the best performing Governor according to research firm TIFA.
The notorious Kachok dumpsite that cost Ranguma's political career is now thing of the past. And the good Professor is the new hero in his county.