Independence hero and former assistant minister during Presidents Kenyatta and Moi eras George Fredrick Oduya Oprong is dead.
Oprong, 83, died at the Kenyatta National Hospital on Saturday night where he was rushed by his family after developing chest complications.
His son Isaac Oprong said doctors battled to save his life but in vain.
His body was moved to KNH mortuary as family members make arrangements to transfer it to another morgue.
Mzee Oprong survived an assassination attempt in 1994 while serving as an assistant minister for Planning and Economic Development; the bullet remained lodged in his brain until his demise, 25 years later.
He suffered a stroke in mid-2015 that saw him admitted in hospital for a couple of months.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga visited Oduya Oprong in his Angurai rural home in Teso North in 2015 while Senator Moi paid him a visit in 2017.
Mzee Oduya’s career in politics began when he founded the Kenya Mines, Quarry and Workers Union and became its secretary general.
His close connection with the Kenyatta family saw him become the pioneer Busia North MP in 1963.
The only other surviving members of the first parliament include Daniel Arap Moi, Charles Njonjo, Mwai Kibaki and James Osogo.
Mzee Oduya was among 11 MPs who survived a by-election in 1966 during the mass defection to Jaramogi Odinga’s Kenya People’s Union.
He served until 1969 when he lost to Ojamaa Ojaamong who served for a short stint before his death in a road accident. Emoto Ebu won the by election.
Mzee Oduya bounced back in 1974 on a KANU ticket until 1979 when he lost the seat to the youthful Achiya Echakara whose second term in 1987 turned tragic when he was gunned down by an assassin while serving as an assistant minister for Finance and Economic Planning.
Hon Pancras Otwani won the ensuing by election.
Oprong won his third term during the 1992 multi-party elections as Amagoro Constituency MP, but his bid for a fourth term was shattered by Albert A.A. Ekirapa.
Sospeter Ojaamong took over from Ekirapa in 2002-2013. Amagoro was split into two- Teso North and Teso South with Arthur Odera and Mary Emaase becoming inaugural winners.
Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong has sent his condolence message to the family.
In his message of condolence, the governor said the county has lost a leader who led a delegation of elders to the then colonial district commissioner to champion for the creation of Busia North Constituency, opening up avenues for the creation of more constituencies.
The Governor said Mzee Oduya was among the first leaders from the region to meet Mzee Jomo Kenyatta upon his release from detention in 1961.
Kenyatta holding the first rally in Western Kenya at Malaba border.
The cruel hand of death has robbed the county of a man who championed Kenya's first constitution and whose good rapport Kenyatta and Odinga family has been replicated to the current generation.
