Kenya has been selected to host the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Africa Continental Qualifiers, a significant achievement that establishes the country as a regional hub for the sport. The announcement follows the successful Nairobi Baseball Community Championship Festival, which demonstrated Kenya’s capacity to host world-class events.
The Nairobi Field of Dreams at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) will host the qualifiers from November 25-30 for Softball (Senior Women and U23 Men & Women) and from December 5-7 for Baseball (Men’s U15).
The decision to award the qualifiers to Kenya was a direct result of the success of the 2025 Nairobi Baseball Community Championship Festival on September 13. The event, held under the theme “Hitting Home Runs for Youth, Sports, and Education,” drew over 1,000 fans, 200 Little Leaguers, and dozens of partners. The festival featured championship games, cultural performances, a food and innovation marketplace, and a home run contest sponsored by M-Kopa.
Thom Wallace, co-founder of IfWeBuildIt.org, the organization that partnered with JKUAT to build the complex, said the festival was about more than just games. “It was about proving what’s possible in the Kenyan sports ecosystem when communities, private sector partners, and youth come together around a shared purpose,” he stated.
U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Kenya, Susan Burns, also praised the event, noting that it “really felt like an American Saturday afternoon at the Nairobi Field of Dreams.” She added that hosting the qualifiers will further cement Kenya’s role in African baseball development.
The festival showcased the rapid growth of baseball in Kenya. The Nairobi Baseball Community Series Championship Final saw Samurai United defeat the Nairobi Buffaloes 12–7, with outstanding performances from Joseph Wani and Shinya Miyazaki.
The upcoming continental qualifiers will bring international attention to Kenya’s growing sports infrastructure. Teams from across Africa will compete for a chance to advance to global competitions. The event will also provide valuable experience for local organizers, volunteers, and the broader Kenyan baseball community, highlighting how sports can catalyze community engagement and opportunity.
The Nairobi Baseball Championship Festival was made possible through the collaboration of numerous corporate sponsors and community partners dedicated to youth development and sports innovation. These partners included Biz Baz Events, M-Kopa, BasiGo, Roam, and Farmer’s Choice, among others.