NASA leader Raila Odinga has been the main political face in Nyanza for nearly three decades. Even at 73, the former Prime Minister has remained a relevant figure in the country's political landscape.
Whereas Siaya Senator James Orengo and Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong'o have been Raila's political rocks in the Luo Nyanza region for all that time, there is a secret figure that has often operated behind-the-scenes to make the former Premier the influential political actor he is today.
Peter Ochieng Odoyo is that man. The former Nyakach MP has been in the political scene for over two decades. However, over the last 10 years, he has been operating behind the cameras but his influence in Raila's political life cannot be ignored.
His relationship with Odinga dates back to the mid 1990s when he helped the opposition chief form the National Development Party (NDP) which Raila used to recapture his seat in the by-election that followed.
In the 1997 election, the NDP wave swept across Nyanza and Odoyo won the Nyakach MP seat. He played a key role in 2001 when NDP merged with KANU and was appointed to the cabinet.
In 2003, he defended his seat on a Narc party ticket and served as an assistant minister in former President Mwai Kibaki's government.
He lost in 2007 but remained Raila's key advisor on diaspora matters. Odoyo was expected to make a political comeback in 2017 but decided to concentrate on his businesses.