Children with disabilities in Kenya to benefit from inclusive basketball programme

Children living with disabilities in Kenya are set to benefit from a new initiative that seeks to expand access to sports and life-skills training through an inclusive basketball programme.

The initiative, launched by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) in partnership with NBA Africa, introduces a disability inclusion component to the ongoing Basketball Experience programme. The launch took place at Isinya School for the Deaf.

The programme, funded by AFD and implemented by the Kenya Red Cross Society, will integrate children with hearing, visual and physical impairments into structured basketball training and life-skills sessions.

According to the organisers, the initiative aims to give children with disabilities an opportunity to participate in sport while also building skills such as teamwork, discipline, confidence and leadership.

The programme will be implemented in 32 specialised schools for children with disabilities across Nairobi, Kajiado County, Machakos County and Kiambu County.

It will also train coaches and educators on how to deliver adapted basketball sessions that are suitable for children with different types of disabilities.

The new component builds on the broader Basketball Experience programme that was launched in Kenya in July 2024 and currently runs in 48 schools. With the latest expansion, organisers say the number of participating schools is expected to rise to 128.

Officials from the government, development partners and sports organisations attended the launch, including Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy Fikirini Jacobs Kahindi and France’s Ambassador to Kenya Arnaud Suquet.

“The launch of the Disability Inclusion component of the Basketball Experience programme reflects our shared commitment to making sport accessible to all. Together with the NBA and our Kenyan partners, AFD is proud to support an initiative that uses sport not only to develop talent, but also to promote inclusion, confidence and opportunity for young people across Kenya,” said AFD Director for Kenya Anne-Gaël Chapuis.