- Current Alego Usonga MP Sam Atandi broke the news of the former legislator's passing on Sunday evening
- Mak'Onyango made history in 1992 by unseating a veteran lawmaker who had held the seat since 1974
- Before entering politics, Mak'Onyango had a notable career in journalism that brought him into the crosshairs of a turbulent chapter in Kenyan history
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Amos Khaemba is a Current Affairs Editor at TUKO.co.ke, covering political and world news. Khaemba has over four years of journalism experience and joined TUKO.co.ke in 2022.
Nairobi - Former Alego Usonga Member of Parliament Otieno Mak'Onyango has died while receiving treatment at a hospital in Nairobi, current MP Sam Atandi announced on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
Source: Facebook
Atandi shared the news of his predecessor's passing in a statement expressing grief on Sunday, October 25
"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," he said.
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Mak'Onyango carved out a career in journalism before turning to politics, and it was at the ballot in 1992 that he made his most dramatic mark.
Who was Otieno Mak'Onyango?
Running in that year's general election, he defeated Peter Oloo Aringo, a lawmaker who had held the Alego Usonga seat in Siaya County since 1974, ending an 18-year parliamentary run. Aringo subsequently reclaimed the constituency in the 1997 elections and held it through to 2002.
Beyond his political career, Mak'Onyango's name is tied to one of the most defining moments of Daniel arap Moi's presidency.
He was among the Kenyans arrested in the aftermath of the failed coup attempt of August 1982, during which air force personnel attempted to overthrow Moi's government. At the time of his detention, Mak'Onyango was working as a journalist at the East African Standard, the publication now known as The Standard newspaper.
His death marks the loss of a figure who navigated Kenya's political and media landscapes during some of the country's most turbulent decades.
MP Peter Kaluma's brother is dead
Elsewhere, Kenyans were thrown into mourning after Homa Town MP Peter Kaluma confirmed the loss of his brother, Corporal Kenneth Aluma.
In this post, Kaluma expressed heartbreak, stating that his brother died in October, the same month the family lost their biological father and former ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Colleagues and constituents remembered Aluma as a humble, disciplined, and brave officer.
Source: TUKO.co.ke