Former Cabinet Minister and veteran politician Dalmas Otieno has died.
Family sources confirmed that Otieno passed away earlier on Sunday in a Nairobi hospital where he had been undergoing treatment for an undisclosed illness. He was 80 years old.
Otieno, a towering figure in Kenya’s political landscape for over three decades, served as Rongo MP and held various ministerial positions under the Daniel arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki administrations.
He is perhaps best remembered for his role as Minister for Public Service in the Grand Coalition Government, where he spearheaded transformative reforms in Kenya’s civil service.
Born in 1945 in Rongo, Migori County, Otieno had a long and distinguished career in politics and public administration. He served as Minister for Industrialisation, Labour, and Transport & Communications during his early political life, and later played a central role in digitising government services and modernizing civil service operations.
Otieno was also known for his intellectual depth, having studied Applied Economics at Makerere University and undertaken further training in insurance and finance. Before entering politics, he was a respected professional in the financial services sector.
Though he lost his parliamentary seat in 2017, Otieno remained active in national dialogue and was later appointed to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). In 2022, he made an unsuccessful bid for the Migori gubernatorial seat on a Jubilee Party ticket.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said he learnt with deep sorrow of the passing on of Otieno.
“Otieno served the nation with unwavering dedication, both as a Cabinet Minister and a long-serving Member of Parliament. His calm demeanor, intellect, and ability to bridge divides made him a voice of reason and an example of principled leadership,” he said.
Wetang’ula extended heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and the people of Rongo Constituency on behalf of the National Assembly and Parliament fraternity.
Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Delivery and Government Efficiency in the Executive Office of the President Eliud Owalo said he first knew Otieno during his university student days and later developed a close working relationship with him that spanned over three decades.
“Most recently, we collaborated on the conceptualisation of the Nyanza International Investment Conference,” Owalo said.
He said Otieno was an exceptionally brilliant and composed leader - articulate, visionary, and a shrewd businessman with an unwavering passion for socio-economic development.
