Former Cabinet Minister & Alego Usonga MP Oloo Aringo Passes Away

parliament
Parliament Building
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File

Former cabinet minister and former Member of Parliament Oloo Aringo is dead.

The former Alego Usonga MP passed away on Friday, November 1, according to MP Sam Atandi. Taking to his official Twitter, Alego Usonga constituency MP Atandi broke the sad news of the former MP's demise.

According to Atandi, Aringo passed away while receiving treatment at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi.

"I break the sad news of the sudden demise of Oloo Aringo, former Cabinet Minister, & MP Alego Usonga. Aringo passed on this evening at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi," Atandi revealed.

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Hon Oloo Aringo, former Cabinet Minister & MP Alego Usonga, 1 November 2024.
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File

Aringo was one of the constituency's prolific politicians not just in Alego Usonga but in the country. 

Oloo Aringo served as the Member of Parliament for Alego Constituency across two distinct periods: first from 1974 to 1988, and later from 1997 to 2002.

Renowned for his long tenure in Parliament, Aringo made a lasting impact during his time as Minister for Education under President Daniel Arap Moi. He was a central figure in implementing the 8-4-4 education system, a major overhaul that reshaped Kenya's educational structure and remains a significant part of his legacy in the public sector.

It was also Aringo who presented bills in Parliament that were enacted into law to make Moi, Maseno and Egerton universities into public institutions. 

In addition, a deliberate policy was approved by the Government and promoted to start institutes of technology through fundraising in the eight provinces, namely Nairobi, Rift Valley, Western, Nyanza, Central, Eastern, North Eastern, and Coast under his rule.

Deputy Chief of Staff in the Executive Office of the President Eliud Owalo has eulogized the former Minister 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)."

Owalo revealed that he was shocked by the sudden death, reminiscing on a recent meeting he had with him where they held candid discussions on the development of the nation.

"Early this year on 14th January 2024, I visited Hon. Oloo Aringo at his Nairobi residence where we had a lengthy conversation on various issues."

The 83-year-old enjoyed a vibrant academic background. He attended St. Mary’s School in Yala, Kenya before graduating with a first-class bachelor’s degree in history, economics, and politics at the University of Nairobi.

He also studied for his Master's Degree after winning a scholarship from the Commonwealth to study international comparative education at Toronto University in Canada.

His demise has also been mourned by University don Nicholas Kut Ochogo, who lost to Atandi in the 2022 Alego-Usonga parliamentary election. Ochogo had met with the former MP weeks before his demise.

"It is barely one month since we met and now you are gone. I am traumatized upon hearing your sudden demise, may your soul RIP,” Ochogo mourned.

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Eliud Owalo (right) sharing a light moment with former MP & Cabinet Minister Oloo Aringo, January 2024.
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Eliud Owalo
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