Maqulate Onyango grew up in Mathare, an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. At the age of 13, she was approached by the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) who offered her an opportunity to play in their local soccer league and participate in community clean-up projects. In return, they would pay for Maqulate to attend school. She excelled in the MYSA program and taught herself how to read and write at a level proficient enough to graduate from high school, earning an academic scholarship for her studies. Upon graduation, Maqulate began volunteering with MYSA as a referee for the girls youth soccer league, and after several years of training, became the first Kenyan woman to be selected as a Match Commissioner by the African Football Confederation.

Maqulate has used her platform to promote the education of other women and girls in officiating, sports training, and life skills development. She is currently the founder and director of the Mathare Girl Power Project, an organization that uses mentorship to promote personal development and educational advancement among Kenyan girls. Maqulate also founded Women with Wings, an NGO that uses sports participation to promote personal development and educational advancement among Kenyan girls.