Dalmas eulogised as gentle political giant

Former Finance Minister Dalmas Otieno was on Tuesday eulogised as a development-focused, intelligent, and humble man who always sought solutions.

At a memorial service held at Don Bosco Catholic Church in Upper Hill, Nairobi, politicians and mourners remembered the former Rongo MP as someone who never left a meeting without offering a way forward.

Otieno served under the leadership of former Presidents Daniel arap Moi, Mwai Kibaki, and Uhuru Kenyatta. Until his death, he was the Vice Chairperson of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) during its second term.

He is survived by three wives, one of whom, Jane, predeceased him. Patricia and Dorothy fondly recalled him as a devoted husband and father.

“My husband was many things, including a dedicated father,” said Patricia, who recalled they first met at Rapogi High School where both were prefects in the boys’ and girls’ sections.

Amid laughter, she shared how Otieno used to leave her love letters hidden in a garden on campus and even instructed two girls to ensure no other boy spoke to her.

“Dalmas was a very handsome man. He gave me problems with women looking at him, but I played it cool. I am born again and not jealous,” she said, drawing more laughter.

Dorothy, the third wife, described how Otieno transformed her life: “He tied me into the dynamite of what I am today and I thank him for everything.”

He leaves behind 14 children, one of whom predeceased him. He will be buried in Rongo tomorrow.

Eliud Owalo, Deputy Chief of Staff in the Executive Office of the President, recalled Otieno’s generosity. While Owalo was a second-year student at Kenyatta University, Otieno wrote him a Sh6,000 cheque to pay fees and later offered him pocket money and a job developing a strategic plan for his constituency.

Owalo credited Otieno with coining the acronym CORD and co-chairing its coalition board. “He listened more than he spoke. And when he finally spoke, the meeting ended—because he always had the solution,” he said.

Describing him as visionary, creative and intelligent, Owalo added: “He had already started a bank—Thabiti Finance Company Ltd—in 1988. Dalmas was independent-minded, charismatic and eloquent.”

Otieno, a former KANU stalwart, co-chaired the Inter-Party Parliamentary Group (IPPG) that pushed key electoral reforms ahead of the 1997 elections. He also played a central role at the Bomas Constitutional Conference and was involved in rejecting the 2005 Wako Draft as part of ODM. Later, he co-chaired the CORD summit before the 2013 elections.

Albert Abel Katembwe, a former classmate at Makerere University and ex-Managing Director of Uganda’s National Social Security Fund, described Otieno as a brilliant student and pan-Africanist.

Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko, his longtime political rival, called Otieno “a worthy alternate”. “When he was in, I was out and vice versa. Our notes were complementary,” said Ayacko. “It was a healthy competition.”

Fred Gumo, former Westlands MP, said Otieno was “very steady, intelligent and reasonable.” He added, “During Moi’s time, he was among the few never rebuked. He was calm and chaired meetings with clarity and purpose.”

Moses Kuria, former Cabinet Secretary and Ruto’s former economic advisor, said his early impression of Otieno was shaped by politics: “We were trying to unseat him. But later, I discovered he was the voice of reason—calm and unshakable.”

Seme MP Dr James Nyikal recalled Otieno once gave him Sh700 at a funeral in 1992 and later Sh30,000 for dowry, citing how long his own cheque would take to clear.