Political big names falling over each other to donate millions to give Dalmas befitting send-off

Former Cabinet Minister and veteran politician Dalmas Otieno at a past public event/FILE

Life, in its normal ebb and flow, is always packed with ups and downs.

When he needed help most as his budding business empire, Thabiti Finance and Thabiti Insurance Brokers, was going up in smoke under the toxic mix of politics and business, none of his political heavyweight friends, with whom he brushed shoulders and will have spent many long nights in the hope of finding a bail out, threw a lifebuoy.

But Kenyans, as former Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph noted, behave in very peculiar ways.

The dead carry more meaning than the living, and in death, the big-name friends, and even not-so-friendly, have been falling over each other to donate millions with which to give Dalmas Otieno a decent sendoff, hopefully with a massive feast as farewell.

When Otieno battled to fend off auctioneers and to keep creditors off his back, there would not have been a donation fever of the type that has raised more than Sh20 million in a matter of days.

In a now widely circulated list online, the who’s is who of Kenya’s political establishment gave away millions, led predictably by President William Ruto who handed out Sh3 million and closely backed by ODM supremo Raila Odinga with Sh2million. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki makes a credible Sh500,000 handout to shore up his bosses gift.

The list of two hundred plus donors a clear demonstration that politicians are truly birds of the same feather, they flock together.

Governors, MPs and friends who count themselves as Otieno’s friends are strewn all over the list of contributors.

But even as Raila makes such a generous grant, the campaign against lavish funeral he started only a few months ago must sit uncomfortably with his latest action.

Some of the standout donations came from John Mbadi, the Treasury boss, who contributed Sh1 million, Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o of Kisumu, Sh350,000, Moses Wetang’ula, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Sh500,000, Interior PS Raymond Omollo, Sh200,000, former Migori Governor Okoth Obado, Sh100,000, Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko, Sh600,000 and politician Dennis Waweru, Sh300,000.

Fuel guzzlers will today raise dust along the roads leading to Kangeso village as choppers swirl the sky above struggling for landing space to give Dalmas a "befitting' send off.

The amount raised, if put in a Dalmas Otieno Fund, would have gone a long way to educate needy students from Otieno's village, a legacy that would definitely outlive the feasting and ostentation.

But that is the irony of life, family and friends, and even enemies love you more when you no longer need the attention.