Orengo mourns Saba Saba hero Julius Maina Kago
By Emmanuel Rono, July 9, 2026Siaya Governor James Orengo has paid tribute to veteran democracy activist Julius Maina Kago, describing him as an unsung hero of Kenya’s Second Liberation whose courage helped shape the country’s multiparty democracy.
In a tribute statement on his X account on Thursday, July 9, 2926, Orengo said the 75-year-old died on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at King David Hospital in Ngong, the same day Kenya marked the 36th anniversary of the historic Saba Saba movement.
Orengo recalled Kago’s role during the struggle against the KANU regime in November 1991, when public gatherings had been banned.
He said Kago risked his life by driving opposition leaders, including the late Martin Shikuku, Masinde Muliro, Phillip Gachoka and Orengo himself, to the historic Kamukunji Grounds for a pro-democracy rally.
Lasting symbol of resistance
According to Orengo, the Toyota Stout pickup used during the journey, then owned by Kago’s employer Hezekiel Gachu, became a lasting symbol of resistance against authoritarian rule and the fight for multiparty democracy.
“Mzee Kago was not just a driver; he was an unsung general of Kenya’s democratic struggle,” Orengo said.
The governor noted that Kago later worked his way from being an employee to owning his own vehicle, describing his journey as a testament to resilience and determination.
Orengo said Kago’s death was particularly painful because he was the last surviving member of the group that travelled in the back of the historic pickup to Kamukunji.
“As the sole survivor of those who rode in the back of that historic pickup into the eye of the storm, I feel the weight of his departure deeply,” he said.
Sending condolences to Kago’s family, friends and fellow democracy campaigners
Orengo described the deceased as a patriot who “stood in the spotlight of danger so that Kenyans could breathe the air of freedom.
He also pledged to continue championing the ideals that Kago fought for.
“Mzee Kago wished for nothing less than a completely liberated, fair Kenya. I promise him, and I promise you, that I will continue to fight for Kenyans to the bitter end,” Orengo said.