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Tributes flow for fallen basketball boss Paul Otula
Kenya Basketball Federation chairman Paul Otula died on May 01, 2025 at his Kitengela home in Kajiado County.
What you need to know:
- Deputy Chief of Staff in the Executive Office of the President, Eliud Owalo described Otula as an icon in basketball circles.
- National Olympic Committee of Kenya president Paul Tergat celebrated Otula for his contributions to the growth of basketball.
Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) chairman Paul Otula, who died on Thursday, has been eulogized as a basketball icon, a respected academic and towering sports administrator.
Colleagues and fellow sports administrators have paid glowing tributes to Otula who collapsed and died at his Kitengela home in Kajiado County.
In his message of condolences to family, relatives, and friends of Otula, Deputy Chief of Staff in the Executive Office of the President, Eliud Owalo described Otula as an icon in basketball circles.
"Otula had a chequered career as a teacher of no mean repute; Principal of both Mang’u High School, and Maseno School, and an icon in basketball circles. I have over the past decade worked closely with the late Otula in supporting various basketball initiatives through the Eliud Owalo Foundation," Owallo said in a statement.
Growth of basketball
National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) president Paul Tergat celebrated Otula for his immense contributions to the growth of basketball and youth development.
"This is an incredibly painful loss, not only to NOC-K, but also to the wider sports fraternity, the academic sector, and our nation at large. Paul was a firm yet remarkably amiable and humble gentleman. He possessed a rare ability to build bridges, restore calm, and illuminate even the darkest of situations with wisdom and grace," Tergat said.
"As a respected academic and sports administrator, he gave himself wholly to every cause he believed in. His contributions, particularly in the growth of basketball and youth development, have left an enduring mark on Kenyan sports. To his family, my colleagues on the NOC-K Executive Board, the Olympic Movement in Kenya, the basketball fraternity, and all who knew and worked with him, I extend my heartfelt condolences during this time of profound grief," Tegat added.
NOC-K Secretary General Francis Mutuku said has lost a friend and a colleague.
“He was a real team player who had the best interest of the team. It was an honour and privilege working with him,” Mutuku said.
Servant of the game
KBF Secretary General Angela Luchivya eulogized Otula as a dedicated servant of the game.
"Our Chairman, Mr Paul Agali Otula, was a dedicated leader, mentor, and towering figure in Kenyan basketball. His passion, vision, and service to the game and the nation will never be forgotten. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the entire basketball community. Further details will be shared in due course," Luchivya said.
Otula, a former principal of Maseno School, Sunshine Secondary School and and Mang'u High School, died at the age of 61.
At the time of his death he was seeking to contest the deputy treasurer’s post in the NOC-K elections.
His body is currently at Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi, with burial arrangements ongoing.