Ksh.38 billion entertainment arena planned for Nairobi

• Regulatory filings and project proposals outline plans for a 10,000-seat multi-purpose venue designed to anchor a broader mixed-use sports and culture hub.

Pan-African investment firm Zaria Group - co-founded by Dallas Mavericks president Masai Ujiri - has partnered with Helios Sports & Entertainment Group to back a $294 million (Ksh. 38 billion) indoor arena and entertainment district in central Nairobi.

Regulatory filings and project proposals outline plans for a 10,000-seat multi-purpose venue designed to anchor a broader mixed-use sports and culture hub.

The venture finalized a long-term lease agreement with Kenya Railways Corporation to secure land in the central business district.

The idea is to construct a modern 10,000-seat multi-purpose indoor arena engineered for basketball tournaments, global music tours, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) events, and cultural programming.

Integrated into the core of the Nairobi Railway City urban renewal master plan, it is expected to transform former rail corridors into a transit-oriented district.

The massive venture is projected to create roughly 3,500 direct construction jobs, 1,500 permanent operational positions, and up to 25,000 temporary event-driven roles annually across hospitality, retail, and live production.

Managed under Zaria Group’s platform verticals, including QA Venue Solutions, it will mirror the operational framework pioneered at Rwanda’s BK Arena and Zaria Court Kigali.

The capital injection into Kenya’s capital represents the latest move in Ujiri's broader effort to commercialize and scale Africa's sports infrastructure.

Following the launch of the $26 million (Ksh. 3.3 billion) Zaria Court mixed-use hub in Kigali, Zaria Group targets up to five arena-anchored districts across major African urban centers by 2030, with Lagos and Johannesburg under evaluation.

The initiative aligns with Kenya's Vision 2030 economic blueprint and complements other major sports infrastructure efforts in the capital, including the state-backed Talanta Stadium.

Officials emphasize that the private sector-led project aims to capture growing regional demand for world-class entertainment venues across East Africa.