Nairobi City Thunder fires early warning as KBF season opens
Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 21.02.26. | 15:33
The side is chasing a third consecutive national title while also looking to make inroads at BAL
Faheem Juma was the star of the show as the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men's 2026 league got underway at Nyayo Indoor Gymnasium on Friday, 20 February, leading Nairobi City Thunder (NCT) to a 105-67 victory over Equity Dumas.
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Juma opened his season with three shots from range in the first quarter as Thunder silenced the bankers 27-5. The Bradley Ibs-coached side continued their onslaught with a 34-19 second-quarter show, heading to the halftime break with a massive 37-point advantage.
The Kenya Morans' forward finished the match with 24 points, having shot 6-of-7 from behind the arc, adding three baskets from the paint while pulling down seven boards.
He was the side's top scorer, nine points ahead of newbie Nur Aden, with returning Garang Diing and Moses Alier hitting double digits on 13 and 12, respectively.
Victory over Dumas marks not just the start of NCT's hat-trick campaign but the commencement of competitive preparations for the upcoming Basketball Africa League (BAL), set to get underway in March.
Friday's action is a relief for teams, players, and fans alike as the federation had twice postponed the start of the new season as deliberations continued on a 10-year sponsorship agreement with Fireflies Sports & Entertainment (FSE) that had granted exclusive rights to market, sponsor, broadcast, and monetise all basketball leagues and tournaments under KBF's jurisdiction, excluding FIBA events.
In a statement released on Monday, 16 February, KBF announced that the National Executive Committee (NEC) had convened meetings and consulted clubs to review the agreement with FSE, further adding;
"During this process, KBF received a formal Notice of Termination from FSE, which has been acknowledged and is under review in accordance with the agreement and applicable law.
The defending champions picked up right where they left off! Nairobi City Thunder kicked off their 2026 Kenya National Basketball League campaign in emphatic fashion.
— Growing the Game (@growing_thegame) February 20, 2026
A commanding 38-point statement to open the season. The message is clear: the Thunder is rolling. ⚡🔥 pic.twitter.com/oVgF7DKRaf
The termination does not affect league operations," the statement read in part.
The agreement had given naming, branding, broadcast, merchandising, ticketing, and sponsorship rights for a period of five years, renewable for another similar period.
KBF would, in return, receive Ksh 22 million in funding from FSE, covering league execution costs. Out of that, Ksh9.4 million would be paid to KBF for officials' fees, cash prizes, and expenses.