Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo knew from an early age that he wanted to study law - a desire that emanated from a need to fight against injustice after enduring a shameful eviction in his childhood.
Growing up with nine siblings, the respected advocate was brought up in a humble background with his father working as a casual labourer.
In an interview with LSK Nairobi Branch's YouTube Channel, the ODM MP recalled that when he was nine years old, his father decided to stand up to his boss - a principal at Siriba Teachers' College now Maseno University.
"The principal had inhumane practices of sacking people without notice and without good reason.
"He (Otiende's father) was the only person who had the courage to face him and he marched to the principal's office and told him that that kind of treatment was unfair and it was unnecessarily targetting people without due process," the legislator narrated.
The principal not pleased by the challenge from the pauper asked for Otiende's father's name and let him know he could sack him immediately to which the labourer responded "Even if you do, I would have told you what I needed to tell you and I won't die because I have a home to go to."
"He was sacked on the spot," Otiende revealed.
They were living in some tiny quarters within the institution where they were evicted within minutes of the patriarch's firing.
"All our belonging was taken out of the institution. Everything was dumped at the gate. I was coming home from school at around 4pm but I was redirected to go to the other gate where I found my family stranded," he narrated.
The MP noted that they had to survive by the grace of wellwishers.
"I thought about that event and how it happened and the inhumane manner we were evicted, I told myself I wanted to become a lawyer because I had seen a snippet of what lawyers do in pushing for justice and that is what inspired me," he explained.
Otiende passed his primary education and managed to go to high school with the support of well-wishers. When it came time to select courses to pursue in university, he selected law for all his three choices.
His teachers thought he was crazy and advised him otherwise, but the now Rarieda MP remained adamant that he would only pursue law.
He was admitted to study law and his sister, nominated senator Elizabeth Ongoro paid his fees.
Here is the video courtesy of LSK Nairobi Branch:
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