Ex- Harambee Stars Captain Musa Otieno Honoured with Head of State Commendation

Former Kenya’s national Harambee Stars team captain Musa Otieno popularly known as Otero has been honoured by the Head of State Commendation (HSC). Otieno was honoured by President William Ruto during Jamhuri Day celebrations on December 12, 2025 via Gazzette notice 18367 in recognition for his exemplary service to the country through football. With a record 105 appearances for the national team—more than any other Kenyan player—Otieno's legacy remains unmatched. “Being recognized is a great personal honor, but more importantly, it highlights a broader issue—many former athletes who contributed greatly to Kenyan sports and their communities have been overlooked,” said Otieno. The government bowed to pressure by football stakeholders and Nairobi’s eastlands area who petitioned the president to decorate Otieno with a state award. A coalition of football fans and stakeholders, chaired by Martin Kang'ara including former FKF Communications Head Kenn Okaka, Eastlands opinion leader Boniface Munyao, and Makadara-based content creators Cartel TV spearheaded the initiative. Their aim was to rally national support for Otieno, fondly known as “Otero,” and spotlight his impact on Kenyan football and society. Otieno, revered for his leadership on and off the pitch, is now focused on nurturing future stars through the Kick Off to Hope Football Academy in Makadara. A certified CAF and FIFA instructor, Otieno has also served as assistant coach for Harambee Stars and head coach for Harambee Starlets. His academy has produced several players now thriving abroad. A petition urging President William Ruto to bestow the Head of State Commendation (HSC) on former Harambee Stars captain Musa Otieno that was launched early this year garnered over 5,000 signatures, surpassing the initial target of 1,000. The signature campaign culminated in a vibrant sports day held on Sunday, May 11, 2025, at Jericho, Nairobi in the event that featured a symbolic football match between a team of former Harambee Stars legends, captained by Otieno, and a select side known as ‘Friends of Musa’—composed largely of players from Jericho’s Jambu FC. Otieno, alongside fellow legend Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omolo, anchored a strong defense as the legends, led by Nicholas Muyoti, clinched a 2-0 victory to mark the occasion. Otieno expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support and appealed for a broader cause: recognition for Kenya’s forgotten sports heroes. “Recognition should not rely on public petitions alone; there should be structured systems in place to honor and support our legends so they can continue to inspire the youth. Many former players are voiceless, yet they’ve made huge sacrifices. It shouldn’t take public petitions for such recognition to happen,” said Otieno. BIOGRAPHY DATE OF BIRTH December 29, 1973 GENDER Male OCCUPATION Football coach Musa Otieno is a former Harambee Stars player and captain. He is prominent for his outstanding goal scoring and distinctive individual style of play. During his tenure, Otieno was a midfield defender with a powerful kick and an innate sense for soccer, also excelling as a striker with remarkable skill, accuracy, and consistency. Advertisement In addition, he made several appearances for Harambee Stars and, later, served as the assistant coach for the team. Musa Otieno Family Musa grew up in Ofafa Maringo, Makadara constituency in Nairobi. He is the 7th child in the family. He has seven brothers and a sister. Football was a passion shared by all the boys in the family, and his youngest brother, Erico, also achieved a place on the national team. Advertisement Education Musa attended Dr. Kraft Primary School before moving on to Ofafa Jericho Secondary School for his secondary education. Rise to Prominence Musa Otieno rose to prominence when he was featured in the national team in 1993 during the match between Kenya and Zaire. Thereafter, he was featured on the national team more than 100 times from 1993 to 2009. Musa is most renowned for captaining the Kenyan team at the 2004 African Cup of Nations in Tunisia, where he played as a defensive midfielder. His career as a professional footballer kicked off at the age of nineteen when he was still studying at Ofafa Jericho Secondary School. He was featured in the Nations Cup qualifier match between Kenya and Zaire. This marked the beginning of his career with the national team, Harambee Stars. He played for the national team for 16 years and made more than 100 appearances for the team. Other than playing for the national team, he has also played for top premier league clubs in the country including AFC leopards and Tusker FC. In addition, he played for AFC Leopards for two seasons from 1992 to 1994 before transferring to Tusker FC. On the international stage, Musa dedicated the majority of his professional career to Santos FC in South Africa, where he played for approximately 14 years and earned several titles with the team.