Kenya Airways has partnered with Trace as the official airline partner for “Africa Forward — Le Concert,” a cultural event linked to the Africa-France Summit programme set for May 12, 2026 at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi, according to a press release dated May 11, 2026.

The airline said the arrangement will see it support travel logistics for “hundreds of accredited travelers,” including artists, management teams and production staff arriving in Nairobi from multiple African and European cities. The event is being held under the patronage of President William Samoei Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron, the organisers said.

The concert’s line-up includes African and French diaspora artists such as Yemi Alade, Fally Ipupa, Youssou N’Dour and Abigail Chams, among others, according to the statement.

The partnership places Kenya Airways at the centre of a high-profile summit-linked programme that blends diplomacy, culture and international travel flows. For Kenya’s aviation and hospitality ecosystem, summit-related events typically increase demand for flights, accommodation, ground transport, event production services and security, while also serving as a showcase for Nairobi as a meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) destination.

Captain George Kamal, Ag. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Kenya Airways, said the airline views the arrangement as part of its role in facilitating cross-border movement tied to major moments on the continent. “At Kenya Airways, we believe that travel is about more than moving from one destination to another but rather about enabling the moments that bring people, culture, and opportunity together,” Kamal said. “Africa Forward — Le Concert is one of those defining moments, and we are proud to play our part in welcoming Africa and the world to Nairobi and reinforcing our broader commitment to customer value and innovation.”

Olivier Laouchez, Executive Chairman at Trace, said the partnership is intended to support delivery of the event across audiences. “Trace and our Kenyan partners are proud to produce Africa Forward to place African creativity at the centre of a global conversation,” Laouchez said. “Partnering with Kenya Airways allows us to deliver that vision with the care and the connectivity this moment deserves and inspire audiences at scale.”

Organisers said the partnership will also extend to Trace’s “Futuristic Outfit Competition,” where two winners will receive complimentary return air tickets. The press release did not disclose the value of the tickets or routes covered.

In audience estimates provided by the organisers, Africa Forward — Le Concert is expected to host 4,500 VIP guests at the venue and reach an estimated 500 million viewers globally through Trace television channels and digital platforms, as well as TV5 Monde, YouTube, TikTok and African national TV networks. The press release did not provide an independent methodology for the viewership estimate.

For Kenya Airways, the deal highlights the commercial and brand value of strategic partnerships tied to large international gatherings, which can generate incremental passenger traffic while reinforcing Nairobi’s status as a regional hub. For Trace and other media platforms, Nairobi-based productions offer a route to pan-African distribution and advertiser interest aligned to music, fashion and youth culture audiences.

The next milestone will be the staging of the concert on May 12, 2026, alongside associated travel movements into Nairobi and broadcast distribution across partner networks and digital platforms, as outlined in the press release.

ANZA MMA will stage its Fight Nights 007 event on Thursday, March 26, 2026 at The Alchemist in Nairobi, with the promotion confirming a Kenya-heavy amateur fight card headlined by a bantamweight bout between Hassan Wasswa Muhammed of Nairobi Jiu-Jitsu Academy and Maina Morgan of Shadow Strikers.

In a press release dated March 18, 2026, ANZA MMA said doors will open at 6pm and fights will start at 7pm. Tickets will be sold online via Hustle Sasa, which the organiser described as its official ticketing platform.

The event is the latest in a series of fight nights aimed at building the domestic mixed martial arts (MMA) pipeline, as gyms across the country expand training programmes and athletes seek competitive platforms without leaving Kenya. Hosting the event at a Nairobi entertainment venue also underscores the growing overlap between sports content and the night-time economy, where live events drive footfall for hospitality businesses and create opportunities for sponsors, merchandise sellers and digital content producers.

ANZA MMA said the March 26 card will include a co-main event in the featherweight division, with Dickson Aomo of Diani Fight Club set to face Hamza Fahim of Mombasa Sharks. The press release described Aomo as coming off two victories, while Fahim was described as making his MMA debut with a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and karate.

The promotion also listed two additional main-card matchups: Samuel Laurian of Nairobi Jiu-Jitsu Academy versus Brayan Ray in a featherweight bout, and Bobby Kamande of Chanuka Self Defense against Lwano Matthew of Marine Gym.

On the preliminary card, organisers confirmed six bouts: Augusto Kohn vs Erick Ogola (welterweight), Guraib Rukwaro vs Chris Mutea (strawweight), Alex Njathi vs Shadrack Otieno (lightweight), Felix Tole vs Evans Kaburia (super lightweight), Josiah Aoncha vs Rai Tsuma (lightweight), and Hashim Sefu vs Wayne Achoki (featherweight).

“Tickets are available online via Hustle Sasa – the official ANZA MMA ticketing platform,” the organiser said in the statement.

ANZA MMA said Fight Nights 007 is “notable for the number of new athletes entering the sport,” adding that “11 fighters” will make their amateur debuts on the card. The organiser also said that, unlike its previous event that included fighters from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the upcoming line-up is dominated by Kenyan athletes travelling from Kisii, Kakamega, Mombasa and Diani, as well as multiple Nairobi gyms.

For Kenya’s sports business landscape, a locally dominated card can reduce travel and logistics costs while deepening regional rivalries between gyms—an element that can help sustain ticket sales and viewership. It also points to a broadening talent base, which could support more frequent events and, over time, a clearer pathway from amateur competition to professional bouts. However, growth will depend on consistent event scheduling, safety standards, and the ability to attract sponsorship and broadcast or streaming partnerships.

In its background notes, ANZA MMA said it is “Kenya’s first licensed MMA Promotions under the Kenya Oriental Combat Sports Federation.” It also referenced “KO Fight Night by ANZA MMA” in 2025 as Kenya’s “first-ever professionally sanctioned Mixed Martial Arts event,” according to the organiser.

ANZA MMA said further event information and media inquiries can be directed to press@anyiko-pr.com, while ticketing support is available via support@hustlesasa.com.

Pungulu Pa Productions, a Nairobi-based animation studio, hosted the inaugural Pungulu PArty! Children’s Festival on December 7, 2025 at the Parade Ring, Ngong Race Course, positioning the event as an off-screen extension of its Uli & Tata African Nursery Rhymes animated series.

In a statement dated December 16, 2025, the company said the first edition drew more than 400 attendees and featured a mix of screenings, storytelling, music, dance, workshops and interactive activities targeted at families. The festival comes as Kenyan creative businesses increasingly look to diversify revenue beyond digital content through live experiences, brand partnerships and licensing-linked events.

The studio said the festival programming included a screening experience curated by the Zamaleo Storytellers, which it described as blending cinema with a drum-circle format where children participated through singing and movement. A puppet show by Buni Media’s Matata and Friends also featured as part of the day’s activities.

The event included appearances by lead voice actors associated with the Uli & Tata series. John Sibi-Okumu, who voices the bird character Tuki, and Fadhilee, who voices Tata, attended alongside members of the production team, including the series’ music director, Fancy Fingers, according to the press release.

Chief Nyamweya, creative director of Uli & Tata’s African Nursery Rhymes, linked the festival to perceived gaps in Nairobi’s family entertainment market. “As young parents, my co-founders and I had long felt the lack of engaging and affordable activities for children in Nairobi,” Nyamweya said. He added that demand from audiences of the series helped shape the concept: “Parents of kids who love our show had been asking for over a year for more off-screen experiences connected to the series.”

Live music formed part of the event’s line-up. Pungulu Pa Productions said performances featured Kenyan acts Liboi, Komora and Papillon Musa, while DJ sets were provided by Santuri. The studio also said children participated in an introductory Jiu-jitsu session delivered by Nairobi Jiu-jitsu Academy.

Sarah Mallia, producer of the Uli & Tata series, said the event was intended to create a space for families to engage with cultural themes embedded in the show. “We witnessed something powerful - families reconnecting with the songs, stories and traditions that make us who we are,” Mallia said. She added that the company interpreted the turnout as evidence of demand for child-focused cultural programming: “The success of the event affirms how deeply Kenyan families long for spaces where our cultural heritage is honoured, shared and passed on.”

The festival is part of a broader push by Kenyan content producers to commercialise intellectual property across formats, including live events. While the company did not disclose ticketing, sponsorship or revenue figures, the ability of local animation IP to mobilise paying family audiences is increasingly relevant as producers seek sustainable models in a competitive media and entertainment landscape.

Pungulu Pa Productions said it plans to hold another edition of Pungulu PArty!, though it did not provide dates or venue details. The studio also outlined its wider work on children’s content, stating that much of its animation is completed by Kenyan animators and that its creative team conducted research across Kenya and Tanzania to collect nursery rhymes used in the series.

Separately, the studio acknowledged institutional and programme support for the Uli & Tata African Nursery Rhymes series, naming the French Government’s Creation Africa programme, the National Geographic Society, Afrique Créative (financed by Agence Française de Développement), the Kenya Film Commission, Africa No Filter and Braid Arts & Culture Fund among partners cited in the statement.