He also served in former
President Daniel arap Moi's final government cabinet as Minister for Planning from 2001 until 2002. Awiti was first elected to
Parliament for Karachuonyo in 1997 as a candidate for the
National Development Party (NDP), defeating incumbent MP
Phoebe Asiyo in the 1997 election. However, Awiti and several other ministers resigned from the cabinet in 2002 after Odinga's supporters public disagreed with Moi over his choice of a candidate in the
2002 general election. Awiti won re-election to the National Assembly in 2002, this time as a candidate for the
National Rainbow Coalition. Five years later, Awiti lost his seat in
2007 election to
James Kwanya Rege. == Death ==