Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has paid tribute to Mzee Charles Antony Ondiek, the father of Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch, who died this week after a long battle with cancer.
In a statement on Wednesday, Mr Odinga described the death as “an incredibly painful loss” for the Oluoch family and the wider Kisumu community.
“It is with great sorrow that I have learned of the passing of your beloved father, Mzee Charles Antony Ondiek, following a courageous 15-year battle with cancer,” he said.
The ODM leader remembered Ondiek not only as a father and mentor but also as a man who left an indelible mark in Kisumu. “I knew Mzee well, having worked with him at the Kenya Bureau of Standards in the 1970s. Kanyakwar has indeed lost a towering pillar of the community, as has the greater Kisumu County,” Mr Odinga noted.
He praised Ondiek’s reputation as a respected leader who, beyond his professional career, dedicated himself to community service. His contribution, Raila added, will be felt long after his passing.
The former Prime Minister also sent a message of comfort to MP Oluoch, urging him to extend his condolences to the wider family, friends, and all who knew Ondiek.
“Please accept my deepest condolences, and kindly extend the same to your entire family, friends, and all those who were close to Mzee,” he wrote, before concluding with a prayer: “May the Almighty God be with you during this difficult time, and may Mzee’s soul rest in eternal peace.”
As preparations begin for Ondiek’s burial, Mr Odinga’s tribute underlines the respect the late patriarch commanded in both professional circles and his home county. For many in Kisumu, his death marks the passing of a man remembered as both a steady hand in public service and a community elder whose influence extended far beyond his household.
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