Kenya Basketball Federation chairman Paul Otula died on May 01, 2025 at his Kitengela home in Kajiado County.
At 6’11”, Paul Otula was a towering figure — not just in stature but in ambition. He was a pioneer with a giant-sized dream to revolutionise basketball in Kenya.
Gifted with both talent and tenacity, Otula was a goldmine of ideas and the driving force behind the nation’s golden generation of basketballers. As a seasoned school administrator and head of elite institutions like Mang’u High School, Maseno School, and Sunshine Secondary, he left a legacy that cut across classrooms and courts.
The sad news of his passing on Labour Day sent waves of shock, sadness, and disbelief across the country. Otula, a force of nature, had touched lives for over four decades.
Grief quickly turned to remembrance, as many shared stories of his enduring influence.
As his wife of 36 years, Helen Akinyi Ogada, expressed from their Kitengela home in Nairobi:
“Otula has been everything to me. I have never regretted a single moment since we tied the knot in 1989 when he was principal at Mang’u High School. He provided not only for his family of four kids—two boys and two girls—but also for extended families and friends. I must say he has left a huge hole in the family.”
Former Maseno school Principal Paul Otula.
Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) treasurer Peter Orero, Otula’s long-time colleague in education before joining politics in 2022, described him as:
“A team player, friend, and colleague whose contribution to Kenyan basketball was immense. Otula was a true sportsman who contributed to the game through training, coaching, and management. Some of the country’s greatest players were personally trained by him either at Maseno or Mang’u. He ensured Kenya participated in all major international events at both youth and senior levels during his tenure as KBF chairman.”
Orero, now Member of Parliament for Kibra, added: “It was during Otula's tenure that a Kenyan team, Nairobi City Thunder, qualified for the Africa Basketball League (BAL) final for the first time.”
Similar sentiments were shared by Dr. Aggrey High School principal Robert Aran Maima, who credited Otula with shaping his career:
“I liked the way Otula juggled academics and sports in all the schools he led. I often took my students to benchmark at Maseno when I was principal of Shimba Hills. This inspired me, and my students started excelling both academically and in sports.”
Maima, who later posted impressive results at Dr. Aggrey High School in Taita Taveta, added:
“We became top at the Coast academically and won national basketball titles, thanks to what I learned from Otula.”
Predictably, tributes poured in as the nation struggled to come to terms with the loss of a man with a larger-than-life personality.
Born on January 3, 1964, in the then Rachuonyo District, Otula attended Kenyatta University from 1984, graduating in 1988 with a Bachelor of Education (Arts), Second Class Upper Division.
He later earned an MBA in Organisational Leadership from the University of Liverpool (2011–2014), graduating with distinction.
He began his career at Mang’u High School, eventually rising to principal from 1998 to 2001.
He was then transferred to Maseno School, where he served until 2017, raising the school to national prominence in both academics and sports. From 2018 to 2021, he served as principal at Sunshine Secondary School in Nairobi.
In sports, Otula achieved legendary status. At Maseno, he led the basketball team to victory at the Engen Africa Youth Basketball Championships in Durban, South Africa in 2003. Under his guidance, Maseno School also participated in the Dubai Rugby Sevens.
Former Maseno school principal Paul Otula and students sing in the school chapel during prayers after receiving their KCSE results which place Masenp fifth nationally on March, 3, 2014.
In 2010, he was named Best Coach at the East Africa Secondary School Games, a title earned after Maseno defeated his former school Mang’u in the 2002 national finals—his second year at Maseno.
Highway Secondary School Principal Irungu Nduati, who was Otula’s former assistant coach also paid glowing tribute to the fallen sports administrator.
In 2008, Otula was elected chairman of the Kenya Basketball Federation, winning a fourth term in 2021 (his second under the new KBF constitution). He also served on the National Olympic Committee of Kenya from 2017 and was re-elected in 2021, joining the executive board. At the time of his passing, he was eyeing the vice-treasurer position.
In recognition of his service, Otula received numerous awards: Head of State Commendation (HSC) from the late President Mwai Kibaki (2005), Principal of the Year at the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association Conference in Mombasa (2008), – Shujaa Award from then Sports CS Hassan Wario for promoting peace (2014), Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) from former President Uhuru Kenyatta (2015), MIT’s “Inspirational Teacher Award” (2009),
Moses Wanjara, current KBF Deputy Secretary-General and Maseno alumnus, noted:
“I can count up to 60 of us former Maseno students who are now in the US on basketball or academic scholarships. I’m one of them.”
Kenya Basketball Federation chairman Paul Otula on November 23, 2019.
For over 30 years, Paul Otula led elite schools and sports organisations with integrity, passion, and results. His approach to blending academics, sports, and leadership created a model for holistic education.
His passing leaves a vacuum in both education and sports management in Kenya. But the many he mentored — students, athletes, coaches — stand as living proof of his impact.
“Farewell, son of Rachuonyo. Go well, global citizen. Your artistry, passion, and astute management will outlive you. See you on the resurrection morning. Adios.”
