480 junior players from 40 teams are expected to participate in this weekend’s games. Winners will win prizes including smartphones and airtime.Top players will be scouted to attend an elite basketball development camp.
By OUR CORRESPONDENT
The M-PESA Jr. NBA tournament heads to Mombasa this weekend for its second regional showdown.
The 40 teams, comprising 480 boys and girls, are set to hit the court at the Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa battling for the top regional title.
The competition will feature 5×5 games, with winners in both the boys’ and girls’ categories walking away with smartphones and airtime courtesy of Safaricom’s M-PESA.
Outstanding players will be scouted to attend an elite basketball development camp for additional opportunities.
Ahead of the games, players will also participate in financial literacy clinics through M-PESA Go, reinforcing Safaricom’s commitment to empowering young people beyond the basketball court.
“This tournament signifies what we have been doing through M-PESA over the past 18 years in supporting talent across the country. Through our partnership with Jr. NBA, we are not only promoting sports but also empowering young people with financial literacy through our M-PESA Go product,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom.
The 2025 M-PESA Jr. NBA program kicked off with a Fit clinic in Nairobi engaging over 100 local coaches, with life-skills seminars and coaching capacity building.
This was followed by the first regional tournament in Nairobi that saw St. Johns’ from Korogocho and Olympic from Kibera claim the top titles in the boys’ and girls’ contests, respectively.
The M-PESA Jr. NBA program is designed to provide basketball development and financial literacy training more than 10,000 boys and girls across Kenya. The tournament now heads to Mombasa this weekend followed by Eldoret and finally Kisumu.
