Former Sauti Sol artist Bien joins Nairobi City Thunder ownership group

Former Sauti Sol member Bien-Aime Baraza and his wife, Chiki Kuruka, have joined the ownership group of Nairobi City Thunder.

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The celebrity couple are now investors and part-time owners of the basketball club, which has risen to become one of Kenya’s most successful teams in recent years.

Nairobi City Thunder also made history as the first Kenyan side to qualify for the Basketball Africa League (BAL), marking a major milestone for the country’s basketball scene.

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The club’s main ownership group consists of Colin Rasmussen, the founder and CEO of Twende Sports Limited, alongside co-founders Kooshin Diriye, Stephen Domingo, and Sandra Kimokoti.

The group acquired and professionalised the club in August 2023, a move that transformed Thunder into an internationally recognised basketball brand.

Founded in 1998, Nairobi City Thunder have undergone several rebranding phases and name changes over the years. However, under the new ownership structure, the club has experienced rapid growth both on and off the court.

Thunder clinched back-to-back Kenyan Basketball League titles in 2024 and 2025, while also maintaining an unbeaten run during the Road to BAL qualifiers held in Nairobi last November.

Their impressive 2026 Road to BAL campaign saw them defeat Uganda’s Namuwongo Blazers and Mozambique’s Ferroviario da Beira, while also overcoming South Africa’s Johannesburg City Thunder twice to secure a historic BAL ticket.

Bien’s involvement with Nairobi City Thunder comes as no surprise given his growing footprint in African sports.

The Grammy Award-winning musician currently serves as an official ambassador for the Basketball Africa League and has performed at major BAL events, including the playoffs and finals.

He has consistently advocated for the growth of basketball across the continent, often comparing the league’s potential impact to that of the NBA.

Beyond basketball, Bien has also maintained close ties with football. He has frequently visited the Kenya national football team’s training camps, including during the African Nations Championship (CHAN), where he offered morale support ahead of major assignments.

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His hit songs, including Finale, have also become popular pre-match anthems used by Football Kenya Federation (FKF) teams to motivate players and fans alike.

A passionate football supporter, Bien is a known AFC Leopards fan locally and also backs Tanzanian giants Young Africans (Yanga). In the English Premier League, he supports Arsenal.