Former Alego Usonga MP Otieno Mak’Onyango dies in Nairobi

Former Alego Usonga Member of Parliament Otieno Mak’Onyango. (Photo: Courtesy)

Mak’Onyango, a veteran journalist before venturing into politics, represented Alego Usonga Constituency in Siaya County after winning the 1992 General Election, defeating longtime MP Peter Oloo Aringo.

Former Moi regime detainee and one-time Alego Usonga Member of Parliament Otieno Mak’Onyango has died while undergoing treatment at a Nairobi hospital. Current Alego Usonga MP Sam Atandi announced the death on Sunday night and expressed sorrow over the former legislator’s passing. “We have this evening lost the Hon Otieno Mak’Onyango, Former MP, Alego Usonga Constituency, while undergoing treatment at a Nairobi Hospital. May his soul rest in peace,” Atandi said. Mak’Onyango, a veteran journalist before venturing into politics, represented Alego Usonga Constituency in Siaya County after winning the 1992 General Election, defeating longtime MP Peter Oloo Aringo. Mak’Onyango’s victory ended Aringo’s parliamentary tenure, which had begun in 1974. Aringo later reclaimed the seat in the 1997 elections and held it until 2002. Mak’Onyango was among Kenyans detained following the failed coup attempt of August 1982 against the government of former President Daniel arap Moi. He was apprehended in August 1982 while working as a journalist at the East African Standard, now The Standard newspaper. Following his immense suffering and torture, he relentlessly demanded Sh2 billion as compensation for suffering he underwent after the failed coup. He was arrested at the age of 35 while he worked as a journalist. While demanding compensation after losing his job, he argued that as a journalist, he would have worked up to the age of 70, but his career was brought to an abrupt end following the arrest. Mak’Onyango said he was arrested on August 17, 1982, at the Standard newspaper offices on Likoni Road and taken to the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters in Nairobi. He was accused of involvement in the attempted coup and was detained for approximately four years. During his legal proceedings, he told the court that he had been tortured while in custody and that his arrest had brought his journalism career to an abrupt end. Mak’Onyango was detained alongside other individuals, including Raila Odinga, who later became Kenya’s Prime Minister. In 2003, he sued the government over his unlawful arrest, detention and prosecution, seeking compensation for the violations of his rights. In June 2012, High Court judge Kalpana Rawal awarded him Sh20 million in damages after finding that his constitutional rights had been violated. Despite the court award, Mak’Onyango later spoke publicly about the difficulties he faced in accessing the compensation. A 2014 report by The Standard described his struggles to meet basic needs and pay for medication despite the judgment in his favour. The newspaper reported that the compensation, including accrued interest, had not been paid at the time. The report highlighted the challenges faced by former political detainees seeking redress for historical human rights violations, even after obtaining favourable court judgments. Mak’Onyango’s death marks the end of the life of a former legislator whose public career spanned journalism, elective politics and a prolonged legal battle over his detention during the Moi era.