If he plays his cards well, Gem MP Elisha Ochieng Odhiambo is headed for political greatness in NASA leader Raila Odinga's Luo Nyanza political turf after a resounding win during the August 8, 2017 election that saw him trounce a veteran who literally looked unbeatable.
After operating in the shadows of his predecessor Jakoyo Midiwo for over a decade, the lawmaker finally decided to send a political statement that he is no longer a small man in the political arena as he sent home the incumbent; the man who had inflicted painful defeat on him in 2013.
For Odhiambo, defeating a politician of Midiwo's calibre is no mean achievement. And in so doing, he sent a statement of some sort; that Midiwo's days in Gem constituency are numbered.
With his newfound political muscle, the Kenyatta University-trained teacher can prove that he is really what Gem residents had been missing. But can he fit into the shoes of Midiwo who is also Raila's first cousin?
With proven management skills having been the Director at Aspirations Management Consultants, Odhiambo who holds two masters degrees has what it takes to develop his constituency and make political capital out of it and further deepen Midiwo's political woes. If not, his bitter rival will easily ride on his failures and sweep him aside.