Ayacko's political career began in 1997, when he was elected to the
Parliament of Kenya, representing
Rongo.[1] He was re elected in 2002 and appointed to head the Ministry of Energy and later the ministry of Gender and Sports, where he helped create the first commissions and councils on gender, disability and youths, and pushed through the rural electrification programme under the late President
Mwai Kibaki,[1][5][6][7]
After being defeated in the
2007 Kenyan general election,[1] Ayacko served as executive chairman and CEO of the Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board,[8] and in 2015 was elected chair of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy.[9]
In 2013 when members of the public approached him to vie as governor on the onset of devolution, he declined after ODM offered the mandate to Prof Edward Akong’o, who was defeated by outgoing Governor Okoth Obado on a PDP ticket.[10]
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In 2017, Ayacko ran for Governor of
Migori County, but lost to
Okoth Obado[11] Ayacko made a legal challenge against Obado's victory, but this was dismissed by the
Court of Appeal of Kenya.
[12]
In 2018, Ayacko was listed as a nominee for an
ambassadorial position; however, he declined this, on the basis that he wished to continue pursuing electoral politics.[13] In October 2018 he was elected as the third senator for Migori county after a by election beating his closest challenger
Eddy Oketch Gicheru. [14]
In 2020, he became the vice chair of the senate committee on finance and budget. [15] Ayacko was nominated by the
Orange Democratic Movement as their preferred candidate for the Migori gubernatorial race, [16] and subsequently won the election, defeating
John Dache Pesa by 175,226 votes to 126,171.[17]