The KIRA8 Tournament will tip off from 6th to 14th December 2025, all happening at The Den in Kira — home of the JT Jaguars BBC.

To understand what the first-ever KIRA8 Tournament really means, I sat down with Mrs. Munduru Ulanga, the Head of Competitions. In her own words, she broke down the vision, the structure, and the excitement behind this new basketball event.

“KIRA8 is special for us. It closes the year, celebrates our players, and appreciates the fans who’ve supported the game throughout the season. It’s also important because we shall be launching our facility at The Den during the tournament.”

She highlighted a major milestone for this edition:

“We’re hosting a team from as far as the DRC. That’s a big step. And we hope that next year even more teams from outside Uganda will join in. All clubs, players, and fans are welcome to Kira.”

When asked about how the teams were seeded, she explained:

“The seeding depended on how teams finished the season, whether in the NBL or Division 1. And for the DRC team, since they’re new entrants, we seeded them eighth.”

men’s seeding

women’s seeding

She noted that the original idea had been much bigger:
”We had planned a month-long tournament, but because of the league changes and university games, we adjusted to two weekends — the first and second weekends of December. If logistics allow, we’ll even use two or three courts at the same time.”

Mrs. Ulanga also broke down the competition format:

“We divided the teams into two groups. Every win is 2 points, every loss is 1 point. The top two teams in each group will go to the Main Cup semifinals in the next weekend. The bottom two will play for the Challenger Cup so that everyone stays engaged.”

Fans won’t be left out either: it’s a tournament to celebrate the fans too and keep them engaged.

“We have activities lined up — dunking competitions, shooting challenges, a skills challenge, and a 3×3 mini-series. We’ll take only eight entries for the mini 3×3 challenge which will be on an elimination basis, and there will be awards.”


Mrs. Ulanga adds that fans and teams should expect fair competition and action-packed games throughout the tournament. She encourages all teams to bring their A-game, reminding them that several prizes are on the line — including the honour of becoming the first-ever champions of the KIRA8 Tournament.