I&M Bank regional CEO, Kihara Maina (L), with City Thunder CEO and founder, Collin Rasmussen/ HANDOUT
Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) secretary-general Angela Luchivya has challenged more corporate organisations to follow I&M Bank’s example and invest in sports.
She said such partnerships are critical to unlocking opportunities for athletes and accelerating the growth in the sports sector. Speaking during the unveiling of I&M Bank’s Sh10 million sponsorship agreement with reigning national champions Nairobi City Thunder, Luchivya said corporate support has the potential to transform not only basketball but the wider sporting landscape in Kenya.
“As KBF, we believe that this partnership is going to create opportunities for the players, opportunities for the fans and opportunities for basketball at large, while opening up spaces that will see not only basketball but sports growing in the country,” said Luchivya.
She noted that increased investment from the private sector would help strengthen sports structures, improve athlete welfare and create sustainable development pathways across different disciplines.
According to Luchivya, the impact of such partnerships should extend beyond individual clubs and federations and benefit Kenya’s Olympic movement.
“It starts with Nairobi City Thunder; it moves into basketball, and let’s see it move into the Olympic movement to get the value and opportunity that lies within sports,” she said.
Nairobi City Thunder centre Tom Wamukota welcomed the partnership, saying the club has built its success through collaborations with organisations that share its values of teamwork, discipline, leadership and dedication.
“This partnership is important for us to pair up with brands and corporates that share the same values as us. These are very core values, especially in a team sport like basketball,” said Wamukota.
The two-time Kenyan champions are looking to establish themselves among Africa’s basketball elite after qualifying for the Basketball Africa League (BAL), although Wamukota acknowledged that progress on the continental stage takes time.
“We qualified for the BAL, but reaching the higher stages has been an uphill task. Everything good takes time. Thunder is a young organisation, and we are two-season champions. These are our first two appearances in the BAL, so everything good takes time to grow,” he said.
Wamukota believes partnerships such as the one with I&M Bank will provide the resources needed to improve the team’s competitiveness and help Kenyan basketball reach greater heights.
“Growth through partnerships with corporates like this will push Kenyan basketball to a higher level. We’re able to upgrade our team and do more with the resources that we’re able to get through partnerships such as this,” he said.
“Going forward, we’ll have an opportunity to perform much better and bring much more back for our fans back home.”
