Kenya becomes the recent African country to be the host of The United States National Basketball Association (NBA) offices after Egypt, Senegal, South Africa and Nigeria. This follows an announcement that was made by State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed in September 2023, who disclosed that Kenyan had signed an MoU with the basketball association. The president of Kenya William Ruto was present during the signing of the agreement and he was accompanied by Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba in New York.
The agreement is expected to come to a climax in School and community-based grassroots talent development under the Talanta Hela Initiative, including training of teachers as certified basketball coaches and scouts. The partnership will likewise result in the upgrading of local basketball infrastructure, which will encompass the construction of basketball courts in schools and communities around the country.
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During the unveiling of the offices, president Ruto described the initiative as a turning point in the development of the sport in the country and the move will give Kenyan youth an opportunity to pursue professional basketball. NBA officials led by NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams, five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, and NBA Kenya Senior Director and Country Operations Lead Michael Finley all were present not to forget the US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman and Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba.
NBA are going to partner with the Ministry of Sports, Ministry of Education, and Kenya Basketball Federation to develop a comprehensive basketball ecosystem. As part of this initiative, a Junior NBA clinic is set to engage 70 boys and girls which is in line with the Memorandum of Understanding signed in New York in September 2023 between the NBA and the Ministry of Sports in the presence of President William Ruto.