Why the late Dalmas Otieno was always at political odds with Raila
Dalmas Otieno Anyango, a prominent Kenyan politician, banker, and former Cabinet minister, passed away on September 7, 2025, at the age of 80.
Over a career spanning decade, he represented the Rongo constituency multiple times and served under Presidents Daniel Arap Moi, Mwai Kibaki, and Uhuru Kenyatta.
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Despite periods of collaboration with Raila Odinga, Otieno’s career was marked by recurring tensions with the veteran opposition leader, particularly over political independence and influence in Luo Nyanza.
Early political tensions
Otieno’s early political career began in the late 1980s under the KANU regime.
He held key ministerial positions, including Industrialisation, Labour, and Transport.
During this period, Raila Odinga was emerging as a formidable opposition figure.
Tensions surfaced around 2002 when Otieno played a role in the attempted merger of KANU with Odinga’s National Development Party (NDP).
The move, seen as an effort to curb Odinga’s growing influence in Nyanza, ultimately failed, prompting Odinga to form the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
This episode laid the foundation for perceptions of rivalry, even as Otieno continued to pursue his political vision independently.
The 2007-2013 period marked a temporary alliance.
Otieno joined ODM, winning the Rongo parliamentary seat and participating in the post-election negotiations that helped end the 2007-2008 violence, working alongside international mediators like Kofi Annan.
In the subsequent grand coalition government, Odinga became Prime Minister, and Otieno was appointed Minister of State for Public Service.
In the 2013 elections, Otieno lost his Rongo parliamentary seat.
Independent streak
Differences with Raila resurfaced in 2014 when Otieno launched the Kalausi movement, an independent political outfit meant to challenge ODM’s dominance in Luo Nyanza.
His goal, as he explained, was to “emancipate” the people of South Nyanza from over-reliance on Odinga’s leadership.
The move strained relations with ODM loyalists and marginalised Otieno politically; he lost the 2017 ODM primaries to Paul Abuor and ran unsuccessfully as an independent.
Otieno once remarked, “My challenge in politics came as a result of Luoland that you had to be a Raila person to be elected. My capacity and standard I didn’t have these skills to be somebody’s person… Between me and Raila, we had no conflict, but people created the conflict.”
Otieno’s later attempts to regain political relevance in Nyanza, including forming the Kalausi movement, did not succeed, and he remained largely sidelined in the subsequent elections of 2017, 2022.
His insistence on political autonomy and vision-driven leadership often clashed with the entrenched expectations of loyalty in the region. Even so, he served in non-partisan roles, including as a special envoy to South Sudan in 2020 under President Kenyatta.
His independent streak, combined with historical episodes like the 2002 merger, fueled perceptions of rivalry, though moments of collaboration with Odinga were real and impactful. Upon Otieno’s passing, Odinga described him as a “committed public servant,” recognising his dedication to public service and regional development.
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William Muthama
William Muthama is a digital journalist with a focus on entertainment, human interest, and current affairs. Share stories: [email protected]/ [email protected]
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