Former Cabinet minister Oloo Aringo, who was also a long-serving MP for Alego-Usonga Constituency in Siaya County, has died at the age of 83 years.
His widow, Mrs Rosemary Aringo, told Nation.Africa the former Minister in President Daniel Moi's cabinet suffered cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at 6:20pm on Friday November 1 at the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi where he was undergoing treatment.
She says the news shocked the family since Mr Aringo was feeling better when they last saw him earlier in the day.
He had fallen ill in September after he visited the village and later started complaining of stomach pains. Mrs Aringo says her husband was admitted to hospital for two weeks and later discharged but was to go back for review on November 4.
His condition, however, got worse, forcing the family to rush him to Aga Khan Hospital on Wednesday where he died on Friday.
"We are surprised because he was feeling better when I left at midday (Friday November 1). I spoke to his personal assistant who had indicated to me that he was even sitting unaided only to come back and find doctors carrying out CPR (a medical resuscitation procedure) on him," said Ms Aringo.
"He would give everything to help the down-trodden even of it meant remaining with nothing. He was a good father to my children and ensured they went to good schools," said Mrs Aringo.
Mr Eliud Owalo, the Deputy Chief of Staff responsible for Performance and Delivery Management, recalled how he visited Mr Aringo at his Nairobi residence where they had a lengthy conversation on various issues.
"We will remember Oloo Aringo as an eloquent and intelligent Cabinet Minister; an avid debator during his stint as MP and subsequently as a pioneer of Kenya’s Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC)," said Mr Owalo.
Alego-Usonga MP Samuel Atandi described his predecessor as one of the most consequential individuals in Kenya’s political history.
Mr Aringo, who was an MP for 25 years, also served in the cabinet under President Moi and was a one-time powerful Kanu Chairman.
Mr Atandi said the death of the former legislator is a blow not only to Siaya County but also the entire nation.
"I have got the sad news from the family of the former MP that he passed on this evening. We have lost a great man. As a lawmaker, he contributed immensely to the growth of Siaya and the nation," Mr Atandi said.
Mr Atandi paid glowing tribute to the late Aringo, noting the latter’s development legacy in Alego Usonga.
"He was a forthright leader who was a strong voice on national politics. As chairman of Kanu, he instilled discipline in the party," said Mr Atandi.
According to Mr Atandi, Mr Aringo is responsible for independence of parliament.
"He did this when he drafted a bill that created the Parliamentary Service Commission," said Mr Atandi.
Mr Aringo was first elected to parliament in 1974 and served uninterrupted till 1992 when he lost to Otieno Mak'Onyango.
He came back and recaptured his seat in 1997,but unsuccessfully defended his seat in 2002 losing to Sammy Weya.
Mr Aringo is an alumnus of Mbaga Primary School and St Mary’s School, Yala, where he also taught briefly after graduating with a diploma from Siriba College in Kakamega District (now Kakamega County).
He graduated from the University of Nairobi with a first class bachelor’s degree in history, economics and politics in 1969.
He later won a Commonwealth scholarship to study for a master’s degree in international comparative education at Toronto University in Canada.
