NAIROBI, Kenya- Former Alego Usonga MP and veteran journalist Otieno Mak’Onyango has died while receiving treatment at a Nairobi hospital.
His death was announced on Sunday evening by current Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi.
ODM leader Dr Oburu Oginga mourned Mak’Onyango as a former colleague and a leading figure in Kenya’s political and media history.
He said Mak’Onyango had championed political pluralism and made sacrifices for the country’s democratic freedoms.
“My thoughts, prayers, and deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and the people of Alego Usonga,” Oburu said.
Mak’Onyango represented Alego Usonga in Parliament from 1992 to 1997.
He won the seat in the 1992 General Election, defeating Peter Oloo Aringo, who had represented the constituency for several years. Aringo later regained the seat in 1997.
Before entering politics, Mak’Onyango worked as a journalist at the East African Standard, now known as The Standard.
He was among people detained after the failed 1982 coup attempt, according to reports on his death.
Oburu described Mak’Onyango as a “steadfast hero of our second liberation” and said his integrity and commitment to democratic ideals had left a lasting mark on Kenya’s political and media landscape.
Atandi also mourned his predecessor, saying Alego Usonga had lost a leader whose contribution to the constituency would be remembered.
Mak’Onyango’s death has drawn tributes from leaders recalling his work in journalism and his brief but significant time in Parliament.
