‘Buffalo’ Otieno: How I found love while on tour with Kenya Sevens

Nick-named ‘Buffa’ or ‘Buffalo’ for his explosive pace, strength and stamina, Otieno perfected the hand-off technique in matches. When the 2021/2022 World Rugby Sevens series visited Canadian cities of Edmonton and Vancouver, Otieno handed Spanish defender Emilien Cabale “a stool” on his way to scoring one of Kenya’s three tries in the team’s 17-5 win over the Spaniards in the group stage. 

‘Buffa’ brushed aside Cabale, embarrassingly leaving him seated on the ground. Cabale had made the mistake of trying to stop “Buffalo” from scoring a try.

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This was no mean feat as that Spanish team went on to beat Fiji in the later stages of the series. That team included the talented Paul Pla, and the mercurial scrum half Ramos. Another memorable moment in the series for “Buffa” was when he broke through four South African defenders.

Names like Cecil Afrika, Christie Grobbelaar, Ryan Oosthuizen and Siviwe Soyszwapi couldn’t stop “Buffa” from scoring a very memorable try to intensify the rivalry between Kenya Shujaa and South Africa’s Blitzboks. 

Players from Germany also found themselves on the wrong end of his game. Otieno dazzled rugby fans with his powerful runs, mesmerizing try dance sequences and commanding physique on the pitch.

He played with quick feet, was a dazzling sprinter. He played with flair and verve, and his striking hairstyle enhanced his allure. Born on April 19, 1994, he is an alumnus of rugby powerhouse Kakamega High School. In his hey day, he stood at 6 feet and weighed 94 kilogrammes.

He made his Olympic debut with Kenya Sevens at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo in 2021. 

Otieno has since retired from rugby, found love, and has settled down in Western Canada, just north of the US state of Washington and the city of Seattle. He lives in the province of British Columbia, in the island city of Victoria. The city has a population of 91,867 people. 

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So what motivated him to move to Canada?

“Canada was one of several countries I fell in love with while traveling with the Kenya Sevens team. I was starting to feel the effects rugby was having on my body. Besides the serious injuries that put me out for a season, I was noticing repetitive injuries both on and off the field. Professional rugby is an amazing opportunity in Kenya, but obviously it won’t last forever. We have to be realistic. My good friend Dominic Wendo was living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in Canada, and he encouraged me to join him in Canada,” he says. 

Upon reaching Canada, there was the small matter of adjusting to the Canadian prairie winter. 

“When the temperatures drop to below zero here, even the hair in your nose freezes. But compared to the rest of North America, winters in Victoria are mild,” he says.

Otieno, 31, has retired from professional rugby, and only plays the game socially for Westshore Rugby team. He describes the team as an amazing group of players that has formed a tight community. How has he managed to adjust to the culture and weather in Victoria?

“Culturally, Victoria is very liberal. Everyone here is open-minded and friendly. Everyone smiles and says ‘hello.’ It surprised me at first, but I got used to it and I love it. The rugby season here starts in the fall and continues into spring, so basically the coldest seasons out here.” 

Otieno has retired from Kenya Sevens team, and does not plan to return to the team anytime soon. However, he follows the team closely. He is full of praise for Kenya Sevens women’s team, Kenya Lionesses, for winning the 2025 World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series, and is a firm believer that sports can be a powerful tool for women empowerment.

“I am so happy with the recent success attained by the Kenya Lionesses. They are an amazing team! I have a beautiful daughter, Nina, and she reminds me of the importance of elevating women’s rugby. Girls and women deserve to be celebrated, and to be represented at the highest level in sport. Can they take it to the top tier? On talent alone, I would say yes, but Kenya Rugby Union needs to get its house in order so that national teams can perform consistently. The ladies did a good job and made Kenya proud,” he says. 

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Otieno has found love in Victoria. He recently married his long-term fiancée Melissa Otieno Killion, and they have a daughter called Nina. They met on February 18 this year in Victoria, got engaged on May 25, and wedded on July 30 on the beach in Victoria City. 

How did he meet his spouse?

“Haha! I might get in trouble for this. Mambo ya dunia ilitupatanisha (circumstances brought us together). Melissa didn’t know I was a top rugby player. Can you imagine that? I don’t think she took me seriously at first. Lakini mimi ni nani (who am I to give up? The first time I said ‘I love you’, we had only been dating for a couple of months. She took me camping in Victoria to show me some of her favourite beaches on the island. We woke up at five in the morning, and I said, ‘Is it too early to say I love you?’ and she said ‘It’s five in the morning. It’s too early to say anything’ then she went back to sleep while I watched waves in the ocean from our tent. Nikasema baaas she is the one (I made up my mind that I had found a wife),” he says amid prolonged laughter.

Otieno says they did not organise an elaborate wedding. They settled on a small ceremony, with few guests. He hopes to have a bigger wedding celebration and a public renewal of their vows when they are ready. He says he did not pay dowry.

However, Melissa’s family is interested in getting an African cow. They have overcome cultural difference in marriage.