Nairobi City Thunder, the first Kenyan team to play in the Basketball Africa League, have set their sights higher for the 2026 season.
They used their first appearance in the league in 2025 as an opportunity to learn and develop, and they hope to build on this experience when the Kalahari Conference begins in Pretoria at the end of March.
Since its foundation in 1998, the club has undergone rebranding and name changes, but when Twende Sports Limited acquired the team in 2023, the Thunder became an internationally recognized brand.
Eugene Adero played a crucial role in the Thunder’s BAL debut season in 2025.
They won the last two editions of the Kenyan Basketball League in 2024 and 2025, cementing their growth with an undefeated record during the Road to BAL qualifiers held in Nairobi last November.
During their 2026 Road to BAL campaign, they defeated Namuwongo Blazers (Uganda) and Ferroviario da Beira (Mozambique), and beat Johannesburg City Thunder (South Africa) twice, thereby clinching their BAL ticket.
Tylor Okari Ongwae #23 of Nairobi City Thunder is introduced before the game against Al Ahli Tripoli during the Nile Conference group play on May 20, 2025 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.
One strategic decision that the Thunder management insisted on was retaining the core of the squad that has made them such a competitive team.
Tylor Ongwae, Eugene Adera, Albert Odero and South Sudanese Garang Ding are all set to suit up for the Thunder for their second consecutive BAL campaign. They will be joined by Nigerian player Josh Nzeakor, who made his BAL debut in 2021 with Mali’s AS Police.
Also joining the team is American player Lance Thomas, who was part of the squad in the qualifiers.
Coach Brad Ibs.
Bradley Ibs, an American, is the man at the helm of the Kenyan champions.
He called the Thunders’ plays from the sidelines in their BAL debut last year.
He took over the team in the 2023–24 season following a change in management, becoming the head coach of a top-tier team for the first time.
The Concordia University graduate aims to make history by leading the Thunder to become the first Kenyan team to reach the BAL Playoffs.
Albert Einstein Onyango Odero #14 of Nairobi City Thunder shoots the ball during the game against Made by Basketball during the Nile Conference Group on May 20, 2025 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.
Odero, who was the Thunder’s joint top scorer with 14 points per game, said: ‘We learned a lot from our BAL experience last year. The current squad is very strong. Everyone has been working hard, both mentally and physically. We have grown since last year. We can’t wait to show everyone how much we’ve improved.”
The Thunder’s sole victory in six BAL games came in the form of an 85-76 win against MMB of South Africa during the 2025 Nile Conference in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Nairobi City Thunder will open their 2026 BAL campaign in Pretoria, facing off against Petro de Luanda, Johannesburg Giants, Al Ahly Ly, Dar City and RSSB Tigers.
