MOMBASA: A BASKETBALL HOTBED.

2010 KPA Mens Team

The saying along the coast goes, “Basketball ya Nairobi ni bidii, Mombasa vijana wana talent.”

 

Simply put, Nairobi basketball is about hustle while Mombasa basketball is pure talent. This statement has some element of truth to it. Like in many basketball cities around the world, Mombasa teams and players seem to have a certain style to how they play. They seem to produce very strong, resolute guards who are great ball handlers and gifted shooters. They haven’t always had great height but their forwards are very versatile and comfortable playing away from the basket.

A Mombasa player dunks during a slam dunk competition.

 

There are very few coastal teams that are fast-paced, up-tempo teams; most play a deliberately slow pace, choosing to grind out games in the half-court and win by their play execution, spacing and excellent shooting.

It’s almost like playing against that old man at the gym with high socks and short shorts, who isn’t quick enough to beat you off the dribble and can’t jump high enough to score over you but still kicks your ass with just enough craftiness, good shot selection and playing within his strengths while using your own strengths against you. At the end of the game, you feel like you worked harder than him but he simply played smarter than you. That is Mombasa basketball.

One does not quickly associate Mombasa with basketball. The reputation of the coastal city and its lax holiday atmosphere does not easily conjure images of hard-fought playground battles in the simmering heat and intense passion for the game. You would think of swimming and cricket before the thought of basketball crossed your mind.

Yet, in this paradise of sorts, behind its mask of passive recreation and festive partying, basketball is alive and well in the city of Mombasa.

Coach Kiki draws up a play during a timeout

You ask yourself why then isn’t Mombasa known for its basketball like Nairobi and Kisumu? Oman-based Kenyan international David Mugoye thinks, “Basketball in Mombasa takes a back seat to basketball in Nairobi largely because Nairobi is the capital city and most of the major basketball games, tournaments and international events happen there. Mombasa players do not get a lot of exposure unless they play in Nairobi or play against Nairobi teams.”

Mombasa High School coach and also the Coast Basketball Association (C.B.A.) secretary, Jimnah Kimani Waweru affirms this, “Major sponsors tend to invest more in the capital city and hope to reach out more people in terms of marketing and promoting their products. This generally excludes Mombasa. The KBF too does not play its part as they do not have a strategic plan for the development of its branches around Kenya.”

KPA player at the FIBA Women's Club Championship in 2008.

Despite the relative anonymity of the Mombasa basketball program, the impact of its players and teams has without a doubt shaped basketball in Kenya. Many of the professional teams in Nairobi have players hailing from Mombasa and the resident teams in Mombasa have always performed impressively for as long as they have participated in the national leagues.

Where to hoop.

If you find yourself in city of Mombasa and the itch to shoot some hoops overwhelms you, there are quite a few spots you could hit to scratch that itch. Throw on your J’s and bring your water bottle too – it gets incredibly humid out here.

There is the court at Changamwe Catholic church playground, home of the famed Changamwe Rollers which is one of the oldest clubs in the city. You will find some decent competition here with an occasional mix of current and ex-KBF players and the young bucks looking to get a run.

At the Mombasa Baptist High School playgrounds, it is always an intense battle between the high school and ex-high school talent and you also get a few vets that show up to teach the kids a thing or two about the game. Like that pretty bank shot of the dribble.

At High level estate which happens to be KPA housing, you get many of the KPA players and also Baobab players at their playground checking in around 5pm. Many legendary pickup games have been played here through the years with some of the country’s finest including Peter Kiganya, George Omosh Tunya, Lawi Odera, Kenneth “Penno” Omollo, the late Mike “Captain” Okoth and the list goes on. The saying here went, “you blink and you get dunked on!”

KPA ladies defend against Sprite Storm in a league match.

Other playgrounds include Makande gym, Tudor, Mombasa Polytechnic, Buxton flats, Kikande and Railway club.

One of the most popular spots is the Makupa playground at the Makupa primary school. This court has consistently produced some of the big name cats in the league like the formers KBF stars and current KPA coaches Sammy Kiki and Anthony Ojwuku, Ali Mzee, Paul Oloo (Apolli) and the Odari brothers.

KPA mens team

Mombasa Teams.

 

Mombasa teams have participated in the KBF leagues for as long as it has been around. The men’s and women’s KPA teams have been very dominant for the past two decades, especially with the women’s team winning strings of multiple championships and representing the country in international club championships.

Baobab made its presence felt in the league with a brief stint in the national KBF leagues. They featured many good players, some who did not have a change to make it to the KPA roster. They had a nice run in the league before disbanding, especially their inaugural year in the Division 1 league when they went unbeaten for the whole season before losing their final game to Laikipia Air Base and were promoted to the Premier League.

Kenya Navy originally played from Mombasa and later merged with other armed forces teams to form Ulinzi and became a legitimate contender, winning multiple championships a few years ago.  There was the Mombasa Railways team that won the National Div 2 championship.  Other teams include Mombasa Sports Club, PDS and Coast Youth Basketball which came up when KPA withdrew the men’s team from the league.

The Mombasa City team at Inter-Cities tournament.

Coastal Basketball Association.

 

The coast province has its own organization, the Coastal Basketball Association, CBA, a branch of the KBF which runs all basketball affairs in the area. It has a provincial league which features 11 teams but in terms of clubs or schools playing in its organized events, they are 59 teams registered with the CBA.

The teams are Wazee, Makupa Lakers, Kiembeni Heats, Changamwe Rollers, Changamwe Secondary, Kenya Navy, Oceanears, Kisauni Kings, Coastal Kings, Gorofani and Mombasa Baptist. These are all self supporting teams. They are charged a small fee to take care of the affiliation and production of player cards. League prizes are awarded at the end of the season worth Kshs 30,000, Kshs 20,000 and Kshs 10,000 for winners, runners up and 1^st runners up respectively.

The Makupa Lakers team of the CBA

CBA secretary Jimnah Kimani Waweru oversees most of the day to day operations of the CBA and is passionately involved with the development of the youth at the high school level and beyond. He also coaches at Mombasa Baptist High School.

Without funding from major sponsors, it is difficult for these teams to sustain themselves and keep their players who rightfully yearn for greener pastures and bigger stages to display their talent and more so, to earn a living. Many CBA players would love to play for their hometown KPA team but with limited roster spots, many look further to Nairobi based clubs to showcase their game.

The Mombasa City Supercup team 2010

Former Baobab player and US college star James Cartwright Omondi adds, “There were some really good competitive tournaments back in the days when the coastal KBF was more organized and had sponsorship for various tournaments, with each estate having their own teams. I remember teams such as Tudor Warriors, Buxton Hawks, Makupa Lakers, Makupa Clippers, Changamwe Rollers, Baptist Bulls, Makande Rebels, etc. The competitions were always exciting and exposed many youths who wanted to join KPA to play better. The feeling was unless you were playing for KPA, you didn’t have the recognition as a good/talented player, culminating with the fact that KPA went on a recruiting drive seeking top talents from Nairobi and Nakuru, which limited the options for the young upcoming talents.”

While most CBA action happens at the Mombasa Baptist High School playground, KBF league games in Mombasa are generally played at the Makande gym. Historically, this gym has proven to be very unfriendly through the years to visiting teams.  Not many teams have a road winning record when playing at this gym against Mombasa teams. It begs the question why this particular gym would be so hostile to visitors.

Fred Odongo of KPA attempts a free throw at the Makande Gym.

Coach Jimnah replies,” Anytime when you play away games, a lot of factors are considered before playing the game. Home fans, scoring rims, court surface, climate and referee intimidation all play a big part. The gym has an overused floor which has dead spots in certain areas where the ball cannot be dribbled comfortably and thus making the home defense push you to those areas and use it as a defensive tactic for the home team. “

“The climate is also a big factor and sometimes we even have situations where the gym has its windows shut and fans switched off to create a lot of heat for the visiting teams to wear them out come the third quarter. Referees also can play a part as the local coaches and fans can pressure a ref into making a call in favor of the home team,” he added.

Fan Support.

 

For a long time, Mombasa has had only one top team in the men’s and women’s KBF leagues therefore the local fans have always been unilateral in their support for their KPA teams. They did not have to share fan support with any other team.  The fans too, have also been spoiled by the sustained successes of KPA teams through the years and have learned to demand winning every time KPA steps onto the floor.

KPA squares off against KCB in the 2010 Playoffs.

Despite being some of the friendliest and most hospitable fans around, Mombasa fans are a lot rowdier and louder than in Nairobi and they keep a very close connection with their teams’ players so they are always ready to cheer and support their team through rough stretches. It was always a great spectacle when they would bring their brass band to Nairobi to play chants of “Bandari” as they demolished their Nairobi opponents before the disbelieving eyes of Nairobi fans.

Conversely, this also meant that when KPA loses to a visiting team, the fans are immensely disappointed and really get on the players about the loss and even days later, out in the streets these fans will let the players forget about its poor performance.  It also helps that there are fewer league games in Mombasa so that when there is a game in town, many fans have the opportunity to attend the games and show their support.

2010 KPA Mens Team with Coach Sammy Kiki at the right.

High School Basketball.

The coast high school basketball program is arguably the most successful high school program in the country. If examined from the point of view of titles won, the number of players who’ve proceeded to play for professional club teams and the national team and also played collegiately or professionally overseas, then the program wins hands down.

Shimba Hills High School is the dominant girls’ high school in the country having won 5 out of the last 8 national titles. They are coached by Phillip Onyango who recruits very tall and athletic girls from other schools and has assembled a very impressive team that would be the envy of national teams in the region. The East and Central Africa High School championship is a traditional win for coach Onyango who has won it every single time since 2004 with Mombasa High School six straight times and the past two years with Shimba Hills.

Fatuma Mohammed of Shimba Hill High School

Mombasa High School coached by Jimnah Waweru is another force in the area. They have sent numerous players to American colleges including Josephine Owino, Gladys Wanyama, Beatrice Awino and Mildred Olumasi. They have won seven national titles including three straight titles from 2005-2007 and two titles in 2001-2002.

2011 Mombasa High School boys and girls team with coach Jimnah Waweru.

Shimo La Tewa High School was a powerhouse in the early 90’s where they went to the national championship game in 1991 and lost to the remarkable Nyeri Baptist team of Chris Njunge, Mike Opel, Donald Oduor and Roby Owira. They returned a couple years later in 1994 to the nationals in Machakos and encountered the likes of Owiti and Cabral Gisanda of Aquinas and Bosire Bogonko of Mangu where they played well but could not prevail against these teams.

Serani High School had a nice little run around 1997 where they won a title behind the stellar play of Furaha Odari. They faced up against John Paul Okello of Alliance High School and withstood his 39 point outburst in the final to win their first championship. Furaha’s younger brother Musa Odari picked up where he left off  a few years later and led Serani to the national semis twice but they lost to the Nairobi teams of Aquinas and St Austins.

Mombasa Baptist has won two titles, one in 1989 and the other in 1996 behind the efforts of current KPA captain Fredrick Odongo, The late Steve Biko, George “Pewa” Omondi, Paul Oloo, Farah Warsame, Haroun Karim, Norman Oduke, Alex Maleko, and Wilberforce Odera.  They defeated the much feared Aquinas team in the championship game in Kakamega.

They would return to the national in 1997 and went all the way to the semi-finals before suffering a heartbreaking loss of 84-83 to Alliance High School featuring John Paul Okello and Steve Othoro. That Mombasa team had the addition of Dennis Dikembe, Elly Dalla, Tony Owino and Stanley Kinuthia.

Little  known Kwale High School won a title in 1990 led by the determination and all round talent of Anthony Ojukwu and George “Omosh” Tunya.

KPA Ladies in action

Best Mombasa products.

There are numerous Mombasa area products that have been very successful in the national leagues. Many have played for the Kenya national teams; some even went on to play collegiately and/or professionally overseas. Others have since gone into coaching or KBF management.
Lawi Odera is, in many opinions, one of the Kenya’s most prolific players not just to come out of Mombasa but the country altogether. It wasn’t just his exceptional skills that separated him from the crowd but his legendary work ethic set him apart from everyone else, at a time when work ethic was not common vocabulary used to describe players. He was big and muscular yet very agile and smooth. He was tremendous in just about every facet of the game: post up game, mid range, off the dribble, ridiculous three point range, brute strength, court vision and awareness, defending point guards up to power forwards, extremely clutch. There was not much he could not on basketball court.  He played his high school ball on the great St. Patrick’s High School Iten teams of the 80’s and was the only high school student to make the national team.

Young kids in Mombasa so much wanted to be like Lawi that when he showed up for a game there would be a trail of kids following him wanting to carry his bags. In the end, he would have a group of kids, each carrying a shoe, a sock or something for him just so that every one of them was satisfied.

Former Railways player Jonah Andwati remembers, “One memorable game in 1992 featuring KPA vs Zamalek of Egypt at the Kasarani Gymnasium. KPA had been hammered in Egypt in the first leg of the continental tie. This was the second leg game in Nairobi and Lawi scored what must have been close to 40 points and the Egyptians could not stop him. Rumors abounded that Zamalek offered him a professional contract which for some reason never materialized.”

Sammy Kiki coaches during a time out.

His duels against Ronnie Owino and Rony Swaka of Posta and Ken Ondiek of Co-op in the early 90’s were epic battles still recounted today with much awe.

Former Baobab player Peter Nalo recalls, “In the 1992 finals between KPA and Posta, KPA were leading by a few points towards the end of the second half of the deciding game – there were no third and fourth quarters back then. Posta ran a play where Rony Swaka dropped off a pass to Ben Wanjara on the baseline for a huge two-hand dunk. On the very next possession, while talking trash to Lawi Odera who was guarding him at the half court line, Ronnie Owino hits a three from half court right in Lawi’s face! Posta pulls ahead by 2 points. KPA gets confused and has to call a time out. Out of the time out, Lawi takes over the game like Kobe. Hits a three, then drives by Ronnie for a layup in traffic and hits a jumper, scoring three consecutive times before the clock expires and the late Munyama and Ole blows the whistle.”

Omosh Tunya adds, “I remember a time when Lawi joined us for a workout with at the Bamburi Cement basketball grounds.  We did a lot of sprints and scrimmaged for about three hours. After the work out, Lawi pulls out his running shoes and runs back to town. This coming after a three hour intensive work out session! We took the bus home as we always did. “

Lawi Odera’s career sadly petered out when he refused to join the Kenya team for the 1993 Africa Masculine championships in Nairobi on grounds that he was studying at Mombasa Poly. He then seemed to lose interest in basketball, quit KPA and played for Baobab for a while, returned to KPA then took up boxing and finally quit for good. If there was any Kenyan player who would have been a legitimate star in any league including the NBA, Lawi Odera was the one.

Fred Odongo of KPA defends against a Posta player during a mid season tournament.

Peter Kiganya is definitely Kenya’s most accomplished export. Right from his younger days with KPA in the early 90’s to brief stints with the national team, Lifebuoy and KCITI, Kiganya was always loaded with potential. After auditioning in the USA and earning a part in the movie, “The Air up There,” he returned to Kenya and focused completely on basketball.  He quickly became a force on the basketball scene and soon hooked up with Coach Mauldin at KCITI where earned a basketball scholarship to Abilene Christian College in Texas. By his third year in college, he had emerged as the co-MVP at the college’s Lone Star Conference League, and moved on to play professionally in clubs in South American countries, including stops in Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile and Argentina. He was voted the MVP in 2001 in the Paraguay’s Basketball League and was named Best Foreign Player in Chile in 2002. He currently turns out for Kenyan side Co-operative Bank as well as one of the main players on the Kenyan National team.

Peter Kiganya attempts a free throw against KPA.

James Cartwright Omondi was terrific power forward playing with up and coming Baobab team of the mid 90’s that featured the late Mike “Captain” Okoth, the late Steve Biko and Apollo.  He went on to have a much decorated career at Lubbock Christian University in Texas, earning the 2000-2001 MVP award at the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament and qualifying for the NAIA national tournament where his team made it to the final eight before bowing out. He ended his career as the all time leading scorer at Lubbock Christian University with 1614 points, all time free throws attempted with 615 and free throws made 417 records that have stood since 2001. Most recently, he was named as one of the top 10 greatest players in the 50 years of LCU history, a tremendous honor.

James Cartwright Omondi with Kenny Hewitt and Coach John Copeland.

Sammy Kiki was one of the best point guards the country has ever produced. He was a very gifted shooter as well as an excellent ball handler. He was at his best when it came to clutch moments in games.  He always seemed to make the right play at the end of games whether it was the right shot to take or the right pass to make for a great shot and despite appearing slow, he was deceptively quick and crafty. He handled pressure very well, took a lot of pounding without losing his composure or compromising his team.

The great former KPA player and current coach Sammy Kiki.

He probably started on the great KPA teams of the late 80’s/early 90’s while he was a form two or three student at Mombasa Baptist High School!  He was one of the very few high school players selected, along with Lawi Odera and Anthony Ojukwu, for the national team tryouts while still in high school. He played with KPA his entire career and even once flirted with playing professional ball overseas in Europe. He retired from the active playing around 2005 and has since moved on to coach the KPA men’s team.

Anthony Ojukwu was a stellar point guard coming out of Kwale High School. He single handedly won Kwale High School the national high school championship in a straining battle against Sammy Kiki’s Mombasa Baptist High School team. He regularly started for KPA while still in high school and was a very intelligent, innovative, all-round player who always seemed to have enough to beat his opponent on drives to the basket. He always gave everything he had to get a win, even if that meant intimidating the opponents by any means necessary away from the watchful eyes of the referees.

More than anything else, Ojukwu was the consummate team player. He understood the game from a team concept and cared less about his personal stats than for the success of the team as a unit. He studied the game diligently and was masterful in making in game adjustments. He was also a wonderful motivator and built extreme confidence in his teammates which enabled the team to go beyond its limitations. He remains a disciple of the John Wooden way of coaching where team ethics comes first the x’s and o’s of the game. It is for these reasons that Ojukwu has found success in his post-playing career as a coach with the KPA women’s team whose resume speaks of sustained excellence.
Kennedy Omollo, famously known as “Penno” was a workhorse of a player who fit the description of a Ben Wallace type of player to a T. He was an excellent rebounder who did most of his damage on the offensive glass. He was an undersized forward but guarded forwards and centers much taller than he was without giving up anything easy. He played extremely hard all the time and never took possessions or games off. He was also very effective finishing at the rim off drive and dish moves by guards like Sammy Kiki and Ojukwu. He played loyally for KPA until towards the end of his career in around 2000 where he played briefly with Ulinzi.

He earned a reputation of being a dirty player for taking cheap shots at opposing players, Kenya’s first unofficial ‘enforcer’. Omosh Tunya recounts, “Second only to Vincent Okutoyi (Omwade), Penno was one of the dirtiest players around. He gave meaning to the saying ‘when you are losing the game, change the rules.’ If an opponent was hot, you could always count on Penno to knock them out of the game at the first chance he got! We actually designed plays to give him the opportunity to apply this skill. One time, Ben Aruda was killing us on the boards and blocking just about every shot we took. On one play, Aruda went airborne for a layup and Penno just swept his feet from under him. His left eyebrow was the first part of his body to hit the hardwood and everything else was a bloody mess!”

Captain Fred Odongo during a league game

The late Mike Okoth known as “Captain” began his basketball at the Makande Railways grounds. He had an incredible vertical leap, one of the few players under six feet that was regularly dunking back then. He had a beautiful jump shot and got so high on it that it was nearly impossible to block without fouling. He came into his own on the Mombasa Baptist High school team that defeated the dreaded Shimo La Tewa team that had been dominating the competition. He was a pioneer member of the Baobab team that finished unbeaten in its first year in the KBF Division I league and was moved up to the Classic League.

In one game against Kahawa Garrison while still in Division I, he never missed a shot. He went 20 for 20 from the floor including 5 straight 3 pointers in one stretch.  He ended up with over 50 points that day, a very rare spectacle.

The Texas team at the 2003 Tom Munyama tournament in Baltimore

Mike Obudho was a solid post player with a tremendous leaping ability. He played his high school ball at Changamwe High School. He had deceiving speed and quickness for his size and length. He started out as more of a defensive player and later developed an all round game. You always had to be aware of where Mike was on the court because he was always at the rim rejecting shots coming out of nowhere. He had excellent post up moves and the 15 foot jumper. He played a few seasons with the Ulinzi Warriors before heading to the USA on a scholarship to play at Abilene Christian University with Peter Kiganya and Alex Aluga.

The late Steve Biko was another outstanding player from the coast. He was very solidly built and had great leaping ability for a big man. His offensive game to a while to develop but he made up for it by his hustle and energy on the defensive end by rebounding and shot blocking. He had numerous off the court issues but remained an excellent teammate. His untimely death cut short a career that was on its way up. In many ways, he will be remembered as the Dennis Rodman of the KBF.

Micky Wana of KPA rises for the dunk in Kakamega.

Other very notable players from the coast include: Gilbert ‘Ewing” Owiny, George Kinyanjui, Peter Othoro, Paul Oloo, George Omosh Tunya, Tito Omollo, Charles “Stitch” Ojode, Ben Okello, John Kimbio, Al Amood, Harry Dingo, Evans “Katarega” Ochieng, Sammy Chone, Norman Oduke, Farah Warsame, Aaron Karim, Harun Karim, George “Pewa” Omondi, Emmanuel Aringo, Dan Sibhuko, Mohammed Liwali, Joshua Wanyama, Furaha and Musa Odari, Tom Ochamringa, Churchill Nyabola, Michael “Moi” Otieno, Frederick Odongo, Joel Chai, Lewis Muya, Dennis Dikembe, Geoffrey Shikuku, Chris ‘Magic’ Ogutu, Dennis Miruka, Matthew Mwangi, Leonard ‘Kilonzo’ Onyango, Sam ‘Big’ Omolle, Isaac ‘Iceman’ Omolle, Joseph Omollo, Zaddock Osogo, Salim Ali Mwanda, Micky Wana, Tiberius Menya, Phillip Amenyi, Stephen Odhiambo and Eric ‘Terror’ Obote.

2010 KBF Finals MVP Salim Ali Mzee

Women’s basketball players from Mombasa have been equally, if not more, impressive than their male counterparts.

The late Susan Agoya is one of the lasting icons of women’s basketball in Kenya. The fiery point guard was one of the toughest and most competitive players around and this reflected in her KPA teams as well as the national teams that she was on. She was ultimate floor general – passed well, scored well, ran the offense and stabilized the team when she was on the floor. She was the centerpiece of the KPA teams that won multiple titles before her sudden passing in 2005 after a long illness. She is greatly missed by the Kenyan basketball fraternity.

Josephine Owino is by far Kenya’s most accomplished female basketball player. She played her high school ball at Mombasa High School before playing for KCB and then KPA. She also appeared on the national team from 2000. She received a scholarship to play at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee where she earned All-American honors in her last three years.  She was the NAIA Player of the Year for two straight seasons as well as the Trans South Conference Player of the Year for two straight seasons.  The 6’3 center thoroughly dominated her competition, finishing up her college career with 2,213 points and 1,025 rebounds.  The Washington Mystics of the WNBA drafted her as the 28^th overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft. She is currently playing overseas in Turkey.

Josephine Achieng Owino

Bertha Akuno was one of the fiercest rebounders in women’s basketball. Her domination on the glass was the perfect balance to Susan Agoya’s perimeter game. When both were at the top of their game, KPA was impossible to beat.  Bertha was terrifying interior scorer with great hands and great touch around the basket. She was very crafty at drawing contact and lived at the free throw line.

Ethel Wakesho is a dependable veteran point guard who formed the tremendous trio of backcourt guards with Fadya Mohammed and Susan Agoya that led KPA to four straight titles.  She is a heady, consistent lead guard and an excellent defender who has appeared on many national team assignments.

Brenda Adhiambo

Millicent Anyango was a versatile forward with KPA who has since retired. She posed a match-up nightmare for opponents who could not figure out whether to guard with size to stop her interior scoring or with speed to stop her perimeter game. At one point, when KPA had lost it point guards to injury for a number of games, Millicent seamlessly stepped into the point guard role and the team cruised on without skipping a beat.

Rose Ouma played her high school ball at Kapkenda Girls High School in the Rift Valley before transferring to Mombasa High School. She earned a scholarship to play at Lewis and Clark Community College in Colorado to team up with Gladys Wanyama before transferring to Wayland Baptist University in Texas. The 5”10 guard was the 2008-09 Sooner Athletic Conference Co-Newcomer of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year. She was a two-time NJCAA All-American, a 3rd team NAIA All-American and was second in the nation in steals per game (4.4). She led the Wayland women in scoring, steals and rebounding during her senior year.  She was the Lewis and Clark Community College MVP her freshman year and also named the MVP of the East and Central Africa Championships in 2009.

Rose Ouma

Gladys Wanyama who also played at Mombasa High School moved on to play with KPA and became one of Kenya’s premier interior scorers.  She was a mainstay on the national team for many years before receiving a scholarship to play at Lewis and Clark Community college in Colorado. The 6”2 center was a two-time NJCAA All American honor student in 2008 and 2009. She was awarded the 2009 Region 24 Player of the Year award averaging 19.2pts for the season.

Mildred Olumasi similarly played at Mombasa High School after transferring from Kolanya Secondary in Western Kenya. She drastically improved her game while in Mombasa and really burst onto the scene at the Africa Junior Championships in Tunisia in 2009. Her stellar performance earned her the best all round player at the tournament and a lucrative scholarship to play at Union University in Tennessee along with her high school alums Josephine Owino and Beatrice Awino.

 

Beatrice Awino also played at Mombasa High School and currently plays at Union University. The 6”6 center scored 42 points in the South African High School Championship game in 2009. Awino led her high school to the national title for three straight years and earned herself a college scholarship.

Beatrice Awino Doul

Miriam Wandanda played at Union University and Bethel College in Kentucky where she was named 2004-2005 first team All-KIAC.

Maureen Obudho who hailed from Mombasa played at Buru Buru High school before playing for KCB. She was offered a scholarship to play at Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma and led her team to the NCAA tournament before losing to Texas in the opening round.

Brenda Adhiambo from Mombasa currently plays for Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas. The 6”0 power forward is a double double machine and was recently named to the All Region XIV team and the All Conference team. She was also an honorable mention to the 2011 State Farm Coaches’ JC/CC All-America Team.

Brenda Adhiambo of Lon Morris College goes for the block.

Professional Basketball in Mombasa.
The best professional basketball in Mombasa is played by the men’s and ladies teams of Kenya Ports Authority K.P.A. Their employer/owner, K.P.A. is the gold standard of what team ownership should be in Kenya.

Its administration fully supports its sports teams, across many different disciplines and this is reflected in the teams’ consistent successes. While other teams have to worry constantly about employment, sponsorship, housing, player income and allowances, traveling and lodging expenses, etc, KPA teams are one of the best, if not the best, well funded and well supported teams. This allows players and coaches to focus their energies entirely on their sports and minimizes any other distractions. KPA provides housing and employment to many of its players and also has high quality training facilities. It does everything possible that its teams have the best chance of succeeding.
Both the men’s and the ladies teams have had periods of great runs in the league. The KPA ladies team is one of the top professional teams annually and usually represents the country during regional and continental club championships. They won an unprecedented four straight championships from 2002-2005.  They are won the East and Central Africa Club championships for four straight years. They are currently coached by former KPA player Anthony Ojukwu.

The current KPA women’s roster includes: The current KPA ladies roster includes: Brenda Angeshi, Velma Naliaka, Hellen Aketch, Caroline Mureji, and Hilda Indasi

Hilda Indasi of USIU (L) tries to drive past Irene Murambi (11) and Joyce Makungu of KPA

The team has a core of tested veterans including Brenda Angeshi, Velma Naliaka, Hellen Aketch, Caroline Mureji and Hilda Indasi. Brenda brings calmness and direction on the court, Velma provides her experience and size at the power forward spot, Caroline is a versatile forward who can run the floor and space the floor while Hellen is one of the fastest players in the league. Hilda rounds of the group with her great outside shooting.

The KPA men’s team has always been a consistent force in the league and always found ways to rejuvenate and rebuild while still sustaining its success in the national league. They won three straight titles from 1990-1992.  They are currently coached by former KPA player Sammy Kiki.

KPA ladies

The current KPA men’s team includes: Head coach Anthony Ojukwu, assistant coach Sammy Kiki, Trainer Mike Opel, Statistician David Odhiambo, Team Manager Chris Ogutu. The players include: Fredrick Odongo( Capt.), Samuel Ochola, Ben Okello, Samuel Odera(younger brother of Lawi odera), Eric Wawire, Joseph Mwatibo, Dickson Aran, Gift Nyongesa, Anthony Okello, Mickey Wana, Innocent Oduor & Javan Odhiambo, Dan Okwiri, Joshua Mtwaa, Chris Okibo, Tony Owino, Joseph Ouma.

Former Co-op great Mike Opel brings a wealth of experience and instruction at the power forward spot and is arguably one of Kenya’s finest power forwards to play the game. Dan Okwiri is a superbly talented and crafty guard along with one of their leading scorers Micky Wana. Captain Fredrick Odongo and Javan Odhiambo shore up the front court while Innocent Alvan and Samuel Ocholla are upcoming guards who will be very exciting to watch in years to come. Joseph Ouma and Dickson Aran are just out of high school and their contributions off the bench will come in handy this year.

Dan Okwiri of KPA shoots a free throw.

Problems facing Mombasa Basketball

Sponsorship remains a great problem not just in Mombasa but in Kenya. It is almost impossible for a self-funded team to be successful especially in this economy with the heavy financial responsibilities of running a basketball team in the league. Very few corporations are attracted to sponsoring basketball teams, adversely affecting the growth or sustainability of teams in the country.

Coaching is another issue that jeopardizes the game. Most coaches in the high school and college ranks and even some professional teams are former players who having retired or succumbed to injury decided to get into coaching to remain connected to the game. Many of these coaches have no official training in coaching, have little knowledge of the fundamentals and are ill equipped to be teaching the game of basketball to young players. The country sorely needs coaching material and even more, quality coaches who are willing to share their knowledge with others.

Inadequate facilities and equipment also impairs the game in Mombasa. There are few accessible courts in the city where players can play at any time of the day. Some of these courts have poor surfacing, bent rims, broken backboards, and few balls all which impact the development of the game. Most basketball courts are at primary schools which are not always accessible to players during school hours.

Coach Kiki

Future of basketball in Mombasa

 

The future of basketball at coast looks promising with more sponsors showing an interest in the game. The planned introduction of the primary school league in the province will ensure the development of basketball from an early age and create a very fundamental breeding ground of good players to feed into the high school and club levels.

The work that the CBA has put in to develop its high school players is starting to bear fruit with a number of high school players receiving scholarships to play in US colleges. This in turn has generated plenty of attention towards Mombasa highs school players from recruiters and coaches in the US looking to strengthen their teams.

Finally, Mombasa is still producing many good players and sending them to other teams in the KBF leagues and even overseas to play professionally. This motivates and encourages local players to keep working on their game knowing that there are opportunities to play the game at a higher level whether at home or away.

Coach Jimnah summarizes the mission of his program, “Basketball is a vehicle that takes you from point A to point B. We use basketball as a way of life and teach life skills to the young men and women to help them succeed in life. Image is what gains you the respect you need as a player or as a coach. We believe our attitude in the managing the game reflects sound leadership in our program and it can only get better from here.”

Former KPA player Stitch Ojode with Moses Ogonda, Collins Wande and Maureen Obudho in Texas.

Many thanks to the contributors to this article: Jimnah Waweru, James Cartwright Omondi, George Omosh Tunya, Fred Odongo, Brenda Angeshi, Peter Nalo, Jonathan Andwati, David Mugoye and Salim Mzee.

UPDATE

Courtesy of my main man Naftali Macharia,  the following had to mentioned when talking about Coast basketball: the late C. Kamanyire, the late Fred Ogutu, the late Harry Maina, the late Phoebe Orimba and players like Phillip”mzee” Yugi, Nasila”Arif” and so many others.