Former Alego Usonga Member of Parliament Otieno Mak’Onyango died while undergoing treatment at a Nairobi hospital, prompting tributes from current constituency MP Samuel Atandi.
Atandi announced the death on Sunday evening, describing the loss as a painful moment for the constituency in Siaya County.
“We have this evening lost Hon. Otieno Makonyango, the fourth Member of Parliament for Alego Usonga Constituency, who served from 1992 to 1997, while undergoing treatment at a Nairobi hospital.
“Alego Usonga has lost a former leader whose name will remain part of the constituency’s political history.
“May God comfort his family, friends, and the people of Alego Usonga during this difficult time.
“Rest in peace, Mweshimiwa,” Atandi said in his statement.
The former legislator represented Alego Usonga between 1992 and 1997, having won the parliamentary seat in the 1992 General Election. His victory ended the long tenure of Peter Oloo Aringo, who had represented the constituency since 1974. Aringo later reclaimed the seat in the 1997 election and held it until 2002.
Mak’Onyango’s political career followed his work in journalism, where he was employed by the East African Standard, now known as The Standard newspaper.
His life was also shaped by his detention following the failed coup attempt of August 1982 against the government of former President Daniel arap Moi.
Mak’Onyango was arrested on August 17, 1982, at the newspaper’s offices in Nairobi and accused of involvement in the attempted coup. He was detained for approximately four years, during which he told the courts he had been tortured.
The detention disrupted his journalism career and became the subject of a lengthy legal battle against the government.
In 2003, he sued the state over his arrest, detention and prosecution, seeking compensation for the violation of his rights. He represented himself during the case, which lasted about a decade.
In June 2012, the High Court awarded him Sh20 million in damages after finding that his constitutional rights had been violated.
His case became part of the wider history of former political detainees who pursued legal redress over abuses during the one-party era.
Mak’Onyango was detained alongside other Kenyans accused of involvement in the coup attempt, including Raila Odinga, who later became Prime Minister.
Mak’Onyango served in Parliament during a significant period in Kenya’s political history, following the return of multiparty politics and the 1992 General Election.
His election in Alego Usonga marked a change in representation after nearly two decades under Aringo. He served one parliamentary term before losing the seat to his predecessor in the 1997 election.
While his parliamentary tenure was relatively brief, his public life extended beyond elective politics through his journalism career and his pursuit of justice over his detention.
His contribution to public life is, however, documented through his representation of Alego Usonga and his subsequent legal fight over the violation of his rights.
The circumstances surrounding Mak’Onyango’s illness and the specific cause of his death had not been publicly disclosed by the time of publication.
His death marks the passing of a former legislator whose life bridged journalism, parliamentary politics and the struggle for accountability over human rights abuses.
Further details on funeral arrangements and burial plans will be communicated later.