After a full day of touring Nairobi—I decided to end my Friday evening watching basketball at Nyayo Indoor Stadium.
Nairobi City Thunder vs. Strathmore University. These two teams brought enough competitive energy to power the entire city’s streetlights.
Walking into Nyayo felt like stepping into a time machine—except this one didn’t need tokens, just nostalgia. The familiar echo of bouncing basketballs hit me right in the memories. Between 2003 to 2006, I hooped my lungs out almost every weekend in this arena. Back then, I wasn’t just playing in Kenya’s top-tier league; I was part of a movement, contributing to the growth of the game in the country.
So sitting in those stands two decades later, watching today’s young Kenyan ballers going at it—full speed, full passion, full entertainment—I felt a quiet pride.
The league has evolved. The players have leveled up. And the game?
The game is in excellent hands.
As Thunder and Strathmore traded buckets in a fiery contest, I couldn’t help but smile. Nairobi basketball is alive, thriving, and shooting toward the next chapter—and witnessing that felt like reconnecting with a thriving young man I once nurtured.