- Nine teams from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania have qualified for the 2026 FEASSA Boys’ Basketball 5×5 championship in Morogoro.
- Defending champions ITS Kigali have been drawn in Group A, while 2024 winners Amus College have been placed in Group B alongside Kenya’s Friends School Kamusinga.
- Kenya has established itself as the most successful nation with 11 titles, though the country has not won the crown since Upper Hill’s triumph in 2013.
East Africa’s school basketball powerhouses are set for a fierce battle for regional supremacy when the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) Boys’ Basketball 5×5 competition gets underway in Morogoro, Tanzania.
The 2026 championship has attracted nine teams from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania, setting the stage for an intriguing contest featuring defending champions, former winners and ambitious challengers.
Reigning champions ITS Kigali of Rwanda headline a five-team Group A that also features Uganda’s St Michael High School and St Cyprian High School, Tanzania’s Nsumba and Kenya’s Lukenya School.
ITS Kigali will enter the competition as the side to beat after lifting the title last year. However, retaining the crown will require another strong campaign, with the Rwandan outfit facing opponents determined to end its reign.
Kenya’s Lukenya School will be seeking to upset the established order and launch its maiden title campaign on a high. The Kenyan side will also be carrying the country’s rich FEASSA basketball pedigree into Morogoro.
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Kenya remains the most successful nation in the boys’ 5×5 competition with 11 titles. Laiser Hill leads the individual school roll of honour with seven championships, while Maseno School has three. Upper Hill won Kenya’s most recent title in 2013.
Group B presents another intriguing contest, with 2024 champions Amus College of Uganda leading the charge against Tanzania’s St Jude and Juhudi and Kenya’s Friends School Kamusinga.
Amus College will be determined to reclaim the trophy after surrendering it to ITS Kigali last year.
Kamusinga, meanwhile, arrives in Morogoro as the reigning Kenyan champion and will be looking to convert its domestic success into regional honours.
The Kenyan side also has FEASSA pedigree, having previously won gold in the basketball 3×3 competition in Mbale City, Uganda.
The clash between Amus College and Kamusinga could therefore emerge as one of the key Group B fixtures as both sides target a strong start and a place in the knockout phase.
Uganda will be chasing another championship after establishing itself as one of the region’s dominant basketball forces.
The country has six boys’ 5×5 titles, with Buddo Secondary School winning in 2019, 2022 and 2023 before Amus College claimed the crown in 2024.
Rwanda has four titles, including three successive championships by APE Rugunga between 2016 and 2018. ITS Kigali added another Rwandan triumph in 2025.
Hosts Tanzania, meanwhile, will be hoping to capitalise on home-court advantage. Nsumba, St Jude and Juhudi will carry the hosts’ hopes of ending a long wait for another championship.
Tanzania’s only previous boys’ 5×5 title came in 2014 when Loard Baden Powel emerged champions.
The group-stage draw has set up several intriguing storylines. ITS Kigali will be under pressure to justify its status as defending champions, while Amus College will be motivated by the prospect of reclaiming the title.
For Kenya, Lukenya and Kamusinga will be seeking to revive the country’s fortunes after a lengthy wait for the boys’ 5×5 crown.
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Uganda’s multiple contenders will also be targeting another championship, while the Tanzanian representatives will be looking to use home advantage to spring surprises.
With nine teams divided into two groups, every fixture could have a major bearing on the race for the knockout places.
The biggest question heading into Morogoro is whether the established powers will maintain their grip on the competition or whether a new champion will emerge.
The stage is set for a high-intensity FEASSA basketball showdown, with the region’s best school teams ready to battle for the 2026 crown.
By Godfrey Wamalwa
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