Kenya is set to get its first arena dedicated solely to basketball after the Government and the National Basketball Association (NBA) sealed a deal on Wednesday, 13 August 2025, for the league to bankroll the entire project. Cabinet Secretary for Sports Salim Mvurya told reporters that Kenya will identify and provide the land, while the NBA will shoulder construction costs and supply technical expertise.

No exact timeline has been released, but both sides agreed to “fast-track” the process.

A ministry statement said the facility is being designed to host Basketball Africa League (BAL) fixtures and other international events, while also creating “pathways for Kenyan athletes to access global platforms, generate jobs and boost the economy.”

NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi, who led the league’s delegation, called Kenya “a basketball powerhouse in waiting”. “Kenya has all the ingredients to become a basketball powerhouse in Africa: talent, passion and strong government support. This arena will be a game changer, creating opportunities for local players and positioning Kenya as a premier hub for global basketball events,” she said.

Current options are stretched thin. The Nyayo National Stadium Indoor Arena remains the country’s only premier indoor court. University, club and makeshift venues in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu host national league games, but none meet full BAL specifications.

The proposed arena would put Kenya alongside neighbours such as Rwanda, whose KSh 13 billion BK Arena has turned Kigali into a continental tournament stop. It still holds the title of the region’s only modern indoor arena.

This afternoon, I held progressive deliberations with high-level representatives of the National Basketball Association (NBA): Clare Akamanzi, CEO of NBA Africa; Michael Finley, Kenya Country Director; and Mũmbi Kagombe, Chief of Staff, NBA Africa.

I commended the NBA for its… pic.twitter.com/kLso5kKE2y

— H.E Salim_Mvurya, EGH. (@Waziri_Mvurya) September 3, 2025

“I commended the NBA for its strides in scaling up the game in Kenya — from junior schools to national leagues — through robust talent identification, nurturing programs, to ultimately secure qualifications at the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and the NBA. 

Their investments in infrastructure, including plans for a world-class NBA indoor arena, will not only elevate the standards of basketball but also inspire a new generation of athletes, create jobs, and position Kenya as a regional hub for Basketball.” CS Mvurya wrote on X.

Plans were already underway to build an indoor arena at the proposed Bomas International Convention Centre, but it remains unclear whether this is the same NBA site.