Former East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Member Abubakar Zein has died.
Abubakar passed away on Thursday, July 9, 2026, in the morning while undergoing treatment at a Nairobi hospital.
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka mourned Abubakar as a constitutional reformer, diplomat and a courageous patriot.
“Hon. Abubakar Zein was a profile in courage. Time and again, I watched him choose the difficult path over the comfortable one, principle over politics, country over career. That is the rarest form of courage in public life, and he carried it without ever announcing it. Zein did not ask what was convenient. He did what was right,” he wrote.
Kalonzo also recalled the role Abubakar played in Kenya’s struggle for democratic reforms, saying he was an influential political activist whose involvement stretched across major opposition coalitions.
“Zein was a champion and a face of Kenya’s change movement. A political activist par excellence, he also took to the stage as a thespian, drawing in younger Kenyans to advocate for the democratisation of our country,” Kalonzo added.
The late Abubakar served as a member of EALA between 2012 and 2022, where he earned recognition as an advocate for regional integration within the East African Community.
In December 2024, Abubakar was appointed by Kalonzo to head the party’s Presidential Secretariat and campaign team, tasking him with shaping the party’s long-term political strategy.
The ODM Party has also mourned Abubakar, saying he was one of the advisors to the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga.
“It is with this background that the ODM party fronted his name for election to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) where he applied his experience and expertise that contributed to the growth of the EAC region. While there, he was committed to his duty and held our flag high with dignity.
“The ODM party joins the family, friends, relatives, and colleagues in mourning his death. As he is laid to rest this afternoon, we pray to God to keep his soul. Rest in peace, Kiongozi,” ODM stated.
