Former Alego Usonga Member of Parliament Otieno Mak’Onyango, a veteran journalist and survivor of detention during the regime of former President Daniel arap Moi, has died while undergoing treatment at a Nairobi hospital.
His death was announced on Sunday night, October 25, by the constituency’s current MP, Sam Atandi, who mourned the former legislator.
“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 represented Alego Usonga Constituency in Siaya County after winning the 1992 General Election, defeating longtime MP Peter Oloo Aringo and ending his nearly two-decade parliamentary tenure.
Aringo, who had first been elected in 1974, reclaimed the seat in the 1997 elections and held it until 2002.
Before entering politics, Mak’Onyango worked as a journalist at the East African Standard, now known as The Standard. His journalism career was abruptly interrupted in August 1982 when he was arrested following the failed military coup against the government of President Moi.
Mak’Onyango was arrested on August 17, 1982, at the newspaper’s offices on Likoni Road in Nairobi and taken to the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters. He was accused of involvement in the attempted coup and remained in detention for approximately four years.
During subsequent legal proceedings, he told the court that he had been tortured while in custody and that his arrest had destroyed his journalism career.
He was among several Kenyans detained in the aftermath of the coup attempt, including Raila Odinga, who later became Kenya’s Prime Minister.
Court awards Sh20 million in damages
In 2003, Mak’Onyango sued the government over his arrest, detention and prosecution, seeking compensation for violations of his constitutional rights.
He argued that his detention had cost him years of professional advancement and earnings, maintaining that he could have continued working as a journalist until the age of 70.
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 favourable judgment, Mak’Onyango later spoke publicly about difficulties accessing the compensation.
A 2014 report by The Standard detailed his struggles to meet basic needs and pay for medication, noting that the award, including accrued interest, had not been paid at the time.
His case highlighted the challenges faced by former political detainees seeking redress for historical human rights violations, even after securing favourable court judgments.
Mak’Onyango’s death marks the end of a public life that spanned journalism, elective politics and a lengthy legal struggle for justice over his detention during the Moi era.
Further details regarding his funeral arrangements had not been provided in the announcement of his death.