Otieno Mak’Onyango: Journalist, Detainee, Politician

Otieno Mak’Onyango’s journey from newsroom to detention cell to Parliament reflects Kenya’s turbulent fight for democracy.

As a journalist at the East African Standard, he was arrested in 1982 after the failed coup against President Moi. He endured four years in detention, alleging torture during his incarceration.

With the return of multiparty politics, Mak’Onyango won the Alego Usonga seat in 1992, defeating veteran Oloo Aringo. But his political career was short-lived, ending in 1997.

His later years were consumed by a legal battle against the state. Though awarded Sh20 million in 2012, he never received the compensation. His death in 2026 leaves behind a legacy of resilience — and a cautionary tale about Kenya’s unfinished business with victims of past abuses.

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