A seasoned and veteran politician, Dalmas Otieno Anyango, passed away on Sunday at his Nairobi home following a brief illness.
A towering figure in Kenyan politics from Migori County and former Cabinet Minister, born in 1945 at Kangeso Village in modern-day Rongo Sub-County, died at the age of 80, leaving a huge void in the Kenyan political arena, especially in the South Nyanza region.
The Rongo-born statesman, known for his intellect and principled leadership, leaves a legacy spanning over three decades in public service.
Otieno’s political career began in 1988 as Rongo Member of Parliament under the Kenya African National Union (KANU), serving as Minister for Industrialization, Labour, and later Transport and Communications, under the late President Daniel Arap Moi, whom he steadfastly supported during the one-party era.
A key figure in the 1990s Inter-Parties Parliamentary Group, he helped usher in multi-party democracy.
Elected on an ODM ticket in 2007 and 2013, Otieno served as Minister for Public Service between 2008 and 2013 under former late President Mwai Kibaki, where he initiated civil service reforms, with the most notable being increasing the retirement age from 55 to 60 years.
His loyalty to ODM leader Raila Odinga wavered in 2014 when he formed the Kalausi movement, criticizing ODM’s dominance in Luo Nyanza, though he remained a respected regional voice.
In 2018, Former President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed him to be part of the Salary and Remuneration Commission (SRC), a position he held until 2022.
His achievements include infrastructure development, public sector reforms, besides earning the Elder of the Golden Heart and Elder of the Burning Spear honors.
Migori County political leaders, including Governor Ochilo Ayacko, Woman Representative Fatuma Mohamed and Rongo Member of Parliament Paul Abuor, hailed him as a visionary leader who put the developmental agenda for his people first.
By Makokha Khaoya
