Lupita Nyong’o to hold homecoming tour next week
Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o will next week conduct a homecoming tour in Kenya in her first official visit since winning the Oscar Academy Award in 2014.
The homecoming tour will be held just days ahead of the planned visit by United States President Barack Obama who is scheduled to attend the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi.
The summit will be co-hosted by Kenya and the United States.
Ms Nyong’o arrives on Monday for the homecoming tour that will include art mentorship activities as well as an awareness campaign on wildflife conservancy efforts in the country.
The actress will then hold a mentorship session with Kenyan students and artists on Tuesday, where she will discuss her acting career and provide tips on how to succeed in the arts.
GALA DINNER
She will also be the chief guest at a gala dinner on July 2 in an event that aims to fête the arts and fashion community in Kenya.
The Oscar award-winning actress was in Naivasha earlier this month to attend her sister Esperanza’s wedding at the Great Rift Valley Lodge.
Esperanza tied the knot with Tanzanian Dadi Masesa at a 300-guest cards-only event. Only accredited professional photographers allowed to take pictures at the event.
During the homecoming tour, Ms Nyong’o will also take part in conservancy projects aimed at boosting the country’s capacity to manage its elephant population.
“Our country’s elephants are a critical piece of the heart of Kenya and we need to take action now to save their population from the threats that continue to endanger their existence,” a statement from Lupita Nyong’o said.
The actress will arrive next Monday and will partner with WildAid, an organisation that works to reduce global consumption of wildlife products.
‘DELIGHTED’
“I am delighted to be returning home, especially with the added honor of being able to use this opportunity to help shine a global light on Kenya’s conservancy efforts,” said Ms. Nyong’o.
Ms. Nyong’o’s homecoming tour is being supported by a number of local brands including Safaricom, Kenya Airways, Simba Colt Motors, African Heritage, Villa Rosa Kempinski and luxury bag manufacturer Lulea.