Hollywood movie Star and Oscar Awards winning Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o has joined the ownership ranks of Nairobi City Thunder after investing in the basketball club as it prepares for the 2026 Kenya National Basketball League (KNBL) finals and seeks to strengthen its position on the continental stage.
Lupita Nyong’o made the announcement on September 24 through her Instagram account, sharing a video of herself in a Nairobi City Thunder bomber jacket as she walked through a corridor in what she described as a “tunnel walk” to celebrate her new investment.
“Taking a tunnel walk to celebrate that I’m an investor in the Nairobi City Thunder,” Nyong’o wrote, adding that she was “pumped and proud” to back the first Kenyan team to qualify for the Basketball Africa League (BAL). She signed off her message with an enthusiastic “TWENDE!”
She also used the post to rally around the team and the wider basketball community ahead of the KNBL Finals, wishing players, officials and fans an enjoyable weekend as the domestic title race got underway.
Her entry into the ownership structure comes at a significant moment for Thunder, which is pursuing an ambitious plan to secure a permanent BAL franchise. The club is seeking to raise at least US$50 million [Ksh 6.5 billion] , as part of the process to acquire a permanent place in Africa’s premier professional basketball competition.
Thunder team manager Bernett Ojay confirmed Nyong’o’s involvement but said the club would not disclose the amount she invested or the size of her stake.
The investment adds a high-profile name to Thunder’s growing commercial ambitions, with the club seeking to build a sustainable professional basketball operation capable of competing consistently at the highest level in Africa.
Thunder was acquired by Twende Sports Ltd in August 2023, with the new ownership introducing a professional structure that included contracts for players and coaches. The club has since positioned itself as one of Kenya’s leading basketball projects, combining private investment, sponsorship and merchandise revenue to support its operations.
The club’s BAL ambitions are, however, bigger than simply participating in the competition. Its plans include developing the infrastructure required to sustain a permanent franchise, including the possibility of having its own home arena rather than continuing to depend on existing venues.
The push comes as the BAL itself moves towards a new franchise model. The league plans to introduce permanently owned and privately held teams, with up to 10 franchises expected to be made available to investors. The NBA and FIBA have appointed Moelis & Company to oversee the process of identifying and vetting potential franchise investors.
Under the proposed structure, the permanent franchises would be complemented by two teams qualifying annually, maintaining the BAL at 12 teams.
Thunder’s historic qualification for the BAL marked an important milestone for Kenyan basketball, giving the country its first club representation in the continental league. The club is now looking to turn that breakthrough into a long-term presence.
