How The Nairobi City Thunder Is Monetising Community Engagement To Build A Basketball Brand

Kenya has long been a hub of basketball talent in East Africa, but it lacked a crucial element: a professional team to harness and showcase that potential. Too often, promising players had to leave their home country in search of opportunities abroad, while the local basketball scene struggled due to limited resources and infrastructure.

This is where Colin Rasmussen came in. As the CEO and founder of Twende Sports, he recognised the urgent need to change this narrative. Understanding the untapped talent and missed opportunities for nurturing players at home, Rasmussen took on the ambitious challenge of building a professional team from the ground up: Nairobi City Thunder.

In an interview with Forbes.com Rasmussen discussed the intentionality of building with the local talent, the key pillars behind the team’s sustainability, their passionate fanbase as well as his broader vision.

Under Rasmussen’s leadership, Nairobi City Thunder has achieved more than just assembling a competitive team; they have ignited a movement. By bringing top Kenyan players back from overseas, including national team stars who had never played in the local league, the Thunder have created a squad capable of competing against the best on the continental stage. Now participating in the fifth season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and currently midway through the Nile Conference, they are proving their strength beyond Kenya’s borders.

Building From Within: A Commitment to Kenyan Talent

At the heart of Thunder’s journey is a strategic investment in Kenyan players, many of whom had previously showcased their talent abroad but had not had the opportunity to play domestically. Thunder made a conscious effort to reverse this trend by building a competitive roster anchored by homegrown talent.

“We doubled down on our Kenyan talent,” Rasmussen states. “Bringing back Tyler Ongwae was a huge deal for us. He’s probably Kenya’s most high-profile player and hadn’t played in the local league before this season.”

This move carried both symbolic and practical implications. For local fans, it signalled that the country’s top talent no longer had to choose between ambition and staying home. For younger players, it provided visible role models and demonstrated that a successful career path could be forged without leaving the continent.

Other key players also returned, including Albert Odera and Derrick Ogechi, who brought national team experience to the Kenyan league. In many ways, this return of talent is central to Thunder’s philosophy: establishing a feedback loop where local development fosters national pride and enhances continental relevance.

Youth, Infrastructure, and Identity: A Three-Pillar Strategy

The vision of the Nairobi City Thunder is built on three core pillars: youth development, the professional team, and infrastructure. These components are not isolated projects; rather, they are interconnected elements of a long-term strategy designed to create a sustainable franchise. Together, they form the foundation of an organisation that aims not only to cultivate top-level talent but also to build a passionate fan base and establish a solid business foundation capable of overcoming challenges beyond the court.

“From the beginning, we didn’t want to structure this just as a pro team,” explains Rasmussen. For him, the Nairobi City Thunder represents more than a basketball team competing in a league, it symbolises an entire basketball ecosystem in the making. “We’ve developed a youth and talent program, we’ve built out the professional squad, and now we’re focusing on facilities.” These pillars represent crucial stages of growth that the club sees as essential: nurturing young talent at the grassroots level, providing a competitive platform for players to excel, and developing the physical infrastructure that supports both initiatives.

Rasmussen emphasises that this approach goes beyond merely winning games. “The goal is to build around these pillars so we can generate revenue and grow, regardless of how the team performs.” In other words, the success of the franchise is not solely measured by wins and losses but by its ability to create a sustainable business model that can withstand the ups and downs of sports competition.

A Professional Product for a Passionate Market

The Thunder have at every touchpoint, they’ve tried to raise the bar, but one of the most striking areas of growth has been the Thunder’s digital and in-person audience.

“When we took over the team, we had 1,900 followers. This week, we are on track to hit 100,000,” Rasmussen shares. “This growth gives us leverage, which is essential for turning basketball into a sustainable business.”

The Thunder’s fan engagement strategy combines modern digital storytelling with a deep understanding of local culture. They have created a match day experience that blends music, sports, youth culture, and streetwear, attracting not only basketball enthusiasts but also a broader, lifestyle-oriented audience.

“We want our games to be events that people don’t want to miss, even if they don’t know the rules of the game,” Rasmussen explains. “We’re trying to do things that replicate how things are done in more developed markets.”

Building a Loyal Fan Base: Beyond Convenience

Nairobi City Thunder’s commitment to its fans extends well beyond the basketball court. During the current Nile Conference, the team has organised watch parties in Nairobi for every game, creating communal spaces for fans to gather, celebrate, and share in the excitement of the team’s historic debut in the continental championship.

The opening game watch party took place in a specially erected tent, accommodating around 150 enthusiastic supporters who came together to cheer on Nairobi City Thunder’s first appearance on the continental stage. This grassroots approach to fan engagement highlights the team’s dedication to fostering inclusive and vibrant experiences for its community.

Nothing underscores Nairobi City Thunder’s rising fan loyalty quite like their recent initiative during the BAL Nile Conference. Partnering with Trinity Bus, the club covered 50% of the cost for 20 fans to make the gruelling 1,180-kilometre journey from Nairobi to Kigali. This road trip is a powerful statement: Fans are willing to cross borders, literally, to support a team they believe in. It’s a clear sign that Thunder’s following isn’t built on convenience, it’s built on conviction.

This level of fan commitment is bound to create a virtuous cycle that strengthens the club’s commercial appeal and helps position it for sponsorships and partnerships, essential to its long-term sustainability.

The BAL, the Business of Basketball, and a Broader Vision for Kenya

The BAL has created new opportunities for African clubs but has also highlighted the infrastructure challenges many still face. For Nairobi City Thunder, making their BAL debut was the result of intentional preparation, but it also underscored the need for long-term planning.

Despite Thunder’s progress, the basketball ecosystem in Kenya still requires stronger teams, increased investment, and a move towards more professional standards. “I attended the local league in Rwanda on my first night here, and I am aware that the leagues in North Africa are also more competitive,” says Rasmussen. “Competing at that level would be a significant advantage for us. We want to inspire more investment in the sport in Kenya. It’s not just about our club; if we develop in isolation, the competition won’t grow, and we’ll reach a ceiling.”

“We need to be playing competitively week in and week out. That’s what other clubs are doing.”

By examining the successful models in the BAL, the Thunder recognises the potential for growth when government support, corporate investment, and long-term planning work together. They aim to ignite that same momentum at home.

Sustainability Over Hype

As the BAL expands and African basketball continues to gain global traction, many clubs will be tempted by shortcuts, quick signings, foreign rosters, and short-term hype. But Nairobi City Thunder is playing a longer game.

In doing so, they’re changing what’s possible, not just for Kenyan basketball, but for what African sports franchises can look like when built with purpose, patience, and people at the centre.