Zaria Group, co-founded by Masai Ujiri, secured a long-term lease agreement with Kenya Railways Corporation to build a 10,000-seat indoor arena at Nairobi Railway City.
The project, valued at KSh38.2 billion ($294 million), is expected to anchor a larger mixed-use district featuring hospitality, retail, cultural, and commercial facilities.
On September 16, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) invited members of the public to comment on the mixed-use development project in Nairobi.
Profile of Masai Ujiri
Masai Ujiri was born in the United Kingdom and raised in Zaria, Nigeria. Ujiri played football professionally in Europe after moving to the United States as a teenager to pursue basketball opportunities.
Ujiri attended Bismarck State College from 1993 to 1995, where he played basketball for two years. He then transferred to Montana State University Billings in 1995 but left after one semester to pursue a professional basketball career in Europe
Masai worked as an international scout for the Orlando Magic and later joined the Denver Nuggets.
In May 2026, the Dallas Mavericks appointed Ujiri President and Alternate Governor, overseeing basketball operations, including roster construction, player personnel, and scouting.
In 2003, he founded Giants of Africa, a non-profit organization that uses basketball, education, and leadership programs to empower young people across Africa. The initiative has built basketball courts and organized camps and development programs in several African countries.
In 2025, Ujiri was appointed as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Advocate. He also joined the ownership group of the WNBA’s Toronto Tempo in 2026.
What Zaria Group Is Building in Nairobi
The proposed development will occupy 6.8 hectares within the wider 172-hectare Nairobi Railway City redevelopment. Its centerpiece will be a five-storey indoor arena that can accommodate up to 10,000 people, depending on the event configuration.
The arena is designed for basketball and other indoor sports but will also host concerts, conferences, exhibitions, cultural events and banquets.
Plans also include a 140-room hotel and a 70-unit serviced apartment tower, together with restaurants, retail and food-and-beverage outlets.
The development will feature a public plaza, pedestrian boulevard, amphitheater and public performance areas, as well as parking and back-of-house facilities.
The arena will form part of Nairobi’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) infrastructure.
The project is being undertaken through Zaria Group and its Kenyan subsidiary, Metroarena Development Company. Helios Sports & Entertainment Group is also involved as an investor in Zaria Group.
Zaria’s Rwanda Model Comes to Kenya
The Nairobi plans draw from Zaria Group’s activities in Kigali, Rwanda, where the company has developed and manages a sports and entertainment ecosystem.
Its flagship, Zaria Court Kigali, sits between BK Arena and Amahoro Stadium. The development includes an 80-room hotel, a multipurpose court, five-a-side football pitches, a sports bar, a retail park, a gym, a wellness center, a co-working space, and event facilities.
Zaria Group also oversees the management and commercialization of Kigali Sports City, including the 10,000-seat BK Arena and Amahoro Stadium,
The Nairobi project received a major boost on April 10, 2026, when Zaria Group and Kenya Railways Corporation signed a long-term lease agreement for the arena and entertainment district, witnessed by President William Ruto at State House Nairobi.
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