Nairobi’s St John’s Primary School Korogocho and Olympic Junior School emerged champions in the boys’ and girls’ divisions respectively as the curtain fell on the inaugural Mpesa Jr NBA National Championship at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa on Friday, April 11.

St John’s Korogocho overcame hosts Aga Khan Academy to clinch the boys’ title, while Olympic Junior School edged past Oasis Shelter Girls from Nyanza to lift the girls’ crown, capping off a landmark season of youth basketball in Kenya.

Moses Ochieng (St John’s Korogocho) and Brenda Akinyi (Olympic Junior School) were named the tournament’s Most Valuable Players, with their coaches, Brian Lusaga and Ezra Alenga, earning Coach of the Year honours in their respective categories.

The national finals were the culmination of a months-long campaign that began in February, touching more than 16,000 youth across Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret and Kisumu through regional tournaments and financial literacy workshops.
Nearly 2,000 players aged 16 and under participated in the competitive circuit.

Ahead of the finals, the top 100 scouted talents (50 boys and 50 girls) attended an elite training camp in Mombasa on April 7 for advanced skills development.