Lupita Nyong’o accepts the award for best actress in a supporting role for “12 Years a Slave” during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 2, 2014, in Los Angeles. AP
NAIROBI, Kenya—Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o was hailed as a national hero on Monday for stunning Hollywood in her big-screen debut and scooping the best supporting actress Oscar for her role as an abused servant in “12 Years a Slave.”
President Uhuru Kenyatta said she was the “Pride of Africa,” and promised to set up a Kenyan film school and a network of creative academies in the country.
“Lupita reminds us of all that is possible for the youth of this nation when they set their hearts and minds to a great task—in her own words, ‘no matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid,'” Kenyatta said.
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