Former Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno Passes On

Former Cabinet minister and Rongo Member of Parliament (MP) Dalmas Otieno has passed away.

The former legislator died on Sunday at the age of 80. It is, however, not yet clear what led to his death. 

Dalmas who was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Rongo in 1988, died on Sunday, September 7, 2025.

His son, Eddie Otieno, confirmed that the former Rongo Member of Parliament died at his residence in Kileleshwa, Nairobi.

He served as Minister for Industrialisation from 1988 to 1991, then later that year as Minister of Labour & Human Resource Development and as Minister of Transport from 1991 to 1996.

The former Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) MP also served as Minister of State for Public Service during the late president Mwai Kibaki’s regime.

Mourning his death, the Deputy Chief of Staff Eliud Owalo described the MP as an exceptionally brilliant and composed leader.

Owalo further noted that the death of Otieno has robbed Kenya of a leader who greatly shaped the nation’s socio-economic ecosystem.

“I first knew Dalmas during my 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 stated.

“Dalmas was an exceptionally brilliant and composed leader – articulate, visionary, and a shrewd businessman with an unwavering passion for socio-economic development. He was also a pioneer entrepreneur in both the insurance and banking sectors,” he added.