ODM leader Raila Odinga on Monday paid a courtesy call to the family of former Busia North, later Amagoro constituency MP Oduya Oprong, who died on Sunday at Nairobi Hospital.
Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong, was the first to break the news on Sunday, terming the former minister as a dependable leader who opened up the far Western region for economic development.
“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 and which came to fruition, thus opening up avenues for creation of more constituencies in the county,” said Mr Ojaamong.
Mr Oduya would later be appointed as Assistant Minister in charge of Economic Planning, a post he used to put Busia in Kenya's map in terms of development. He was a close ally of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga while at KPU which was disbanded in 1969.
On Monday, Mr Odinga visited the former minister's home in Nairobi where he relayed his condolences. He was accompanied by Senator Johnson Sakaja, Senate Minority Leader James Orengo and Makadara MP George Aladwa.
"Joined the family of the late Hon Fredrick Oduya Oprong to condole with them following the passing of mzee. My prayers and heartfelt condolences go out to them as well as the people of Amagoro and the Teso community at large whom he served with honour and dedication," he wrote on Twitter.
In 1993, Oduya was shot by unknown assailants at Mariakani in Nairobi. He stayed with a bullet lodged in his head for 25 years. In a past interview, he termed his survival as lucky.
“I cannot imagine that I am still alive to date since my memory only returned after three months . . .” Oprong trailed off then his tears fell in a past in an interview with the Standard.