[1][2] Pope Paul VI elevated him into the cardinalate in 1973 as the Cardinal-Priest of San Gregorio Barbarigo alle Tre Fontane in Rome.
The son of a tribal chief in Kenya, Otunga refused to succeed his father in the traditional position in order to pursue a path to the Catholic priesthood after completing his studies at home and in Rome.
[1] Maurice Michael Otunga was born in 1923 to Wasike Lusweti Sudi (a chieftain of the Bukusu) tribe) and Rosa Namisi.
[1] That year he travelled in Europe for several months, visiting northern Italian cities, Paris and Lourdes in France, and then to England and Ireland.
Upon his return to Kenya, Otunga was assigned to serve (1951-1954) as a professor in the theological department at the ecclesial school in Kisumu.
On 5 March 1973 he was created and proclaimed a cardinal as the Cardinal-Priest of San Gregorio Barbarigo alle Tre Fontane in Rome.
[6]Otunga lived in modest conditions and eschewed much of the trappings that came with the episcopal office; he even drove in his own Peugeot 304.
He often visited President Daniel Arap Moi to urge him to implement democratic reforms and disapproved of priests becoming involved in social or political controversies.
[1] He sought to promote and encourage diocesan vocations and he invited religious congregations to settle and work in Nairobi.
Those appointments were: In 1991 Otunga fell ill but was not allowed to resign by Pope John Paul II.
The pope instead appointed a coadjutor bishop who would have the right of succession in case Otunga either died or became unfit to fill the role.
Otunga died on 6 September 2003 at 6:45am of cardiac arrest in the intensive care unit of the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Nairobi.
[3] His remains were interred in Nairobi at Saint Austin's in Msongari, which was a traditional burial ground for priests or deacons.
His remains were relocated secretly because members of his Bukusu tribe believed that reinterment would result in a cures of their people.
National bishops made their "ad limina apostolorum" visit to Rome in November 2007 and sought advice on the matter from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
[3] The latter voiced their assent, declaring nihil obstat (no objections) on 1 March 2010 and titled Otunga as a Servant of God.
He met with local Islamic leaders to jointly conduct ceremonial public bonfires to burn condoms.
[1] One such public bonfire was on 19 August 1995 in which he joined the Imam of Nairobi's Jamia Mosque Sheikh Ali Shee in burning condoms and sex education literature.
He deemed them to be against the teachings of the Catholic Church and an affront to Humanae Vitae, which Pope Paul VI had issued in 1968.
For instance, he said: "The gospel of family planning and birth control has come into Africa in a big way so that couples who can afford to take care of ten children now prefer adding the latest Mercedes Benz model to their stock of cars to having an additional child!
[1] Amin al-Hinawi (on 14 January 1993) issued a sharp criticism of Otunga's remarks related to expansion of Islam in Africa.
[14] Assistant minister Sharif Nassir on 7 January 1987 had asked Otunga to read and understand the Quran, in order to better work for inter-religious dialogue.