20 years later, former MP Oduya Oprong still lives with bullet lodged in his head

By LAWRENCE ALURU 

BUSIA COUNTY: He has lived with a bullet lodged in his head for 20 years.

Former Amagoro MP Fredrick Oduya Oprong, 78, is among a few victims around the globe who walk around with bullets lodged in their bodies.

After the 1993 shoot-out in a Nairobi street, doctors declared it risky to remove the foreign object from Oprong’s head.

Driving himself home one evening, Oprong was shot in Nairobi’s Mariakani Estate by unknown assailants.

The former assistant minister for Economic Planning and National Development was rushed to Nairobi Hospital and later transferred to a hospital in London accompanied by a nurse provided by the former President Daniel arap Moi when his condition started deteriorating.

In London, nothing much was done on the legislator who was in a coma, prompting doctors to transfer him to a hospital in New York where he regained consciousness after three months.

One bullet was removed from the head but doctors were unable to tamper with the one that was lodged behind his brain for fear of risking his life.

FADED MEMORY

“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. The memories of that day two decades ago are still harrowing.

His wife, Florence Oduya, who sat next to him during the interview, comforted him.

The former lawmaker who has two wives and 28 children remembers well events that took place in the years before the incident but has difficulty recalling recent events.

Florence says the incident left them in shock for many years, adding that the hand of God has been their source of inspiration.

“It was hard to cope with the condition as we had to spend a lot of money trying to save his life,” she said.

She further said her husband is unable to do most of what he used to do before the incident.

“The bullet’s effect has lowered most of the operation systems in his body,” she added.

The former legislator and assistant minister who was awarded the Head of State Commendation (HSC-Civilian Division) for his contribution towards national development has also promoted good cross-border neighbourliness.

Oprong’ was among politicians who joined Kenya’s first Vice-President the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga to press for the release of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and others from detention before independence.

At the independence elections, he was elected MP for the then Busia North Constituency.

As a pre-independence trade unionist, Oprong founded the Kenya Quarry and Mines Workers Union, hence Kenyatta appointed him assistant minister for Labour.

He was one of the most outspoken young radical members of Parliament in the early years of Kenya’s independence.

An ally of Oginga, he was one of the founding members of Kenya Peoples Union (KPU) political party.

But like most KPU members, Oprong found his way back to Kanu.

If he would rewind time, he would perhaps stand a chance of having the bullet removed here in the country.

Tuesday, good news seeped in during the day that Baby Satrin Osinya had the bullet lodged in his brain removed and this brought some hope to blot out the bad news of terror attacks that have left the country anxious.