Dalmas Otieno, a distinguished Kenyan public servant and veteran politician, passed away at the age of 80 on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at his Kileleshwa home. His demise has elicited an outpouring of condolences from across the nation, celebrating his significant contributions to Kenya's progress and dedicated service.

Born on April 19, 1945, Dalmas Otieno's impressive career spanned both public service and politics. An alumnus of Makerere University, where he studied Applied Economics, he was also a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London. Before his political career, he held several high-profile positions, including Chairman of Kenya Commercial Bank and Treasurer of the Kenyatta University Council, where he earned a reputation for excellence and a solid record of achievements.

Otieno's political journey began in 1988 when he was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Rongo Constituency under the KANU ticket. During this period, he was appointed by then-President Daniel Arap Moi to various Cabinet roles: Minister of Industrialisation (1988-1991), Minister of Labour and Human Resource Development (1991), and subsequently Minister of Transport and Communications (1991-1996). After failing to defend his seat in the 1997 and 2002 general elections due to the shifting political landscape and declining fortunes of KANU, he made a successful comeback in 2007, securing the Rongo MP seat on an ODM ticket. He was then appointed Minister of State for Public Service under President Mwai Kibaki.

He successfully defended his parliamentary seat in 2013. In 2014, Otieno sought to offer alternative political leadership in Nyanza, a region traditionally dominated by opposition leader Raila Odinga, by founding the political movement dubbed Kalausi. He later contested the 2017 general election as an independent candidate but was unsuccessful.

Dalmas Otieno also endured a profound personal tragedy when his 23-year-old son, Isaiah Otieno, died in a helicopter accident in Canada on May 13, 2008. Isaiah, who was studying abroad, was killed when a crashing helicopter landed on his head while he was en route to mail letters to family and friends.

In the wake of his passing, numerous political leaders paid tribute to his indelible legacy. KANU Chairman Gideon Moi remembered Otieno as a