British Airways is in the middle of a storm after it published its latest in-flight magazine High Life with a photo of the Kenyan Hollywood actress Lupita Nyong’o with a caption insinuating that she’s from the mythical Wakanda Kingdom.
What has baffled most people is the fact that the mentioned “country” is an imaginary home of a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
In reality, there is no country in Africa, or even the entire world for that matter, known as Wakanda.
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Interestingly, the author of the article even goes ahead to suggest that the imaginary location is an isolationist country hidden somewhere near Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia.
So, how could such a prestigious airline make such as an obvious mistake? Did the author even bother to check the location on Google Map?
What’s even more appalling is the fact that the photo had a collage of other less famous celebrities who were correctly described right down to their villages and hometowns.
The airline, which makes daily flights to Kenya, is yet to make a statement regarding the error that has left many Kenyans, especially the fans of Ms. Nyong’o seething.
The British Airways in flight magazine really thinks Lupita Nyong’o is from Wakanda. pic.twitter.com/Pjnytkf68A
— Denizcan Targaryen (@MrFilmkritik) September 4, 2017
British Airways thinks Kenyan star Lupita Nyong’o is from the made up nation of Wakanda. BA flies daily to Nairobi ?♂️ (?@naunihalpublic) pic.twitter.com/PibqXjRCdj
— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) September 7, 2017
Truth About Lupita
The award-winning actress was born in Mexico to Kenyan parents, who later moved back to Kenya while she was still a child.
After her secondary education, Lupita attended college in the United States where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Theater Studies from Hampshire College. She later obtained a Master’s degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama.
The young actress made her acting debut with the short film “East River”, after which she returned to Kenya to star in a popular television series called “Shuga” in 2009.
Her breakthrough in the film industry came in 2013 when she won the Oscar’s Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her the first Kenyan and first Mexican to win an Academy Award.
Lupita’s father, Prof. Anyang Nyong’o, is a seasoned Kenyan politician currently serving as the governor of Kisumu.
