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Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) assistant secretary, Angela Luchivya, has articulated her vision for the sport in the country after her nomination as the President of the FIBA Africa Zone 5 Women Commission.
The 44-year-old Luchivya, a former national team player and the 2007 All Africa Games overall assistant captain for team Kenya, took over from Ugandan Joy Olinga, who moved to another position at the FIBA Africa Central Board.

Part of Luchivya’s mandate in the new role is to ensure the women’s game in the region is on par with the rest of the continent. Speaking for the first time since earning the promotion, the soft-spoken official explained her plans to put the East African nation on the world map.

“I’m excited about the new role because I am passionate about basketball, but I am also aware that the challenges ahead are not easy to navigate,” Luchivya told People Sports, adding, “Overall, I’m ready to challenge myself to serve and make a positive impact in the sport.”

She continued, “My focus will be to enhance Kenya women’s basketball through increased capacity building opportunities in the technical space, boost our women’s team’s participation in tournaments, and generally increase the activities of women’s basketball in Kenya, including local tournaments and forums.”

The former national team player also emphasized plans to advocate for increased education and training for female coaches, referees, and other technical staff, stating that this would significantly contribute to the improvement of the sport in the country.

“As I begin my work, I want to assure you that I will lobby for an increase in education and training for female coaches, referees, and other technical staff. I will also push for the exposure of our female coaches, referees, and technical staff at continental and international championships to enhance their capabilities. Additionally, I aim to leverage this position to negotiate and secure resources such as equipment and other merchandise to support the players’ development,” added Luchivya.

When approached for comment, KBF chairman Paul Otula described Luchivya’s new position as a significant honor in the region. “It is a great honor not only for Kenya but for the entire region as it will aid in boosting the growth of the game,” said Otula.

Among other responsibilities that accompany Luchivya’s new role are increasing female players’ involvement in the sport, nurturing female coaches and officials, maximizing the impact of women’s competitions in the region, promoting gender diversity in National Federations, and cultivating women’s basketball fandom and engagement with the games.