▪️Wandera, who’s from Busia County, is wondering whether he’ll be served his favourite dish ugali while airborne in his first time to be above the clouds
02/12/2025
Life will never be the same again for humble Caleb Wandera.
He came to Nairobi as a jobless boxer struggling to make a living in Nakuru doing odd jobs but he’s now Africa Zone 3 light-welterweight bronze medallist and he’s also a policeman. He has landed a job at the Kenya Police together with Kibra featherweight Paul Omondi and welterweight southpaw Wiseman Kavondo, a member of Kayole Rapid Boxing Club.
Wandera is definitely in cloud nine and thanks the Almighty for transforming his life in a short span of hardly more than two months since he shifted from Nakuru to Nairobi with the support of Boxing Federation of Kenya which took care of his rent at Umoja Estate. Assured of a monthly income as a cop, Wandera can now pay his own rent.
“I’m so happy and excited, it’s the first time I’m flying and to be at JKIA Airport,” Wandera told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview.
Coincidentally, Omondi and Kavondo will also be enjoying their maiden flight as Kenya’s team of 13 boxers and six officials head to the glamorous city known for its eye-catching skyscrapers.
“Do they serve ugali in the plane, I was told they do,” Wandera asked me in our interview.
“There’s no ugali in the plane Wandera, only light food,” I told him.
“Waaaa! How will I survive now I’m told it takes five hours to Dubai,” wondered Wandera genuinely concerned on his first ever flight.
Wandera curved a niche in the boxing world at Flamingo Boxing Club in Nakuru, Kenya’s fourth largest city. He rose to prominence with two knockout victories over KDF’s Pius Macharia in Embu and Nakuru.
After Wandera’s points win over Wiseman Kavondo in the third leg of the 2025 Kenya National Boxing League in Nakuru, national team head coach Musa Benjamin called him up with Kavondo in Kenya’s team for the Africa Zone 3 Championships. Wandera won a bronze medal following a points defeat to DR Congo’s Ndjibu Ndjibu in the semi-finals. Moving to Nairobi was the turning point in Wandera’s life.
The going in Nakuru was not easy for the 24-year-old Wandera who has been washing cars and carrying loads of vegetables to eke out a living.
“Life outside the ring was not easy for me, I had to do all sorts of jobs to earn a living,” recalls Wandera but now all that is history.
He is fully employed by the Kenya Police assured of a consistent monthly income.
Wandera’s achievement has brought joy and a sigh of relief to his siblings and single mother following the death of his father this year.
“I’m the first born in a family of two girls and three boys, Without a father I’m now the bread winner, I’m happy I have a job,” says Wandera who completed his high school education in 2017 at Malaga Mixed Secondary School in Busia County, relocating to Nakuru in 2019 in search of greener pastures. He first got involved in taekwondo before switching to boxing in 2022 on realising taekwondo had more expenses he could not afford.
Welterweight Wiseman Kavondo, a product of coach Kenneth “Valdez” Ochieng, is equally excited killing two birds with one stone: making his maiden flight and taking part in the World Championships for the first time.
“I feel nice travelling out of my country to showcase my talent,” says Kavondo, “I’m not scared of anything in my first flight because I’m travelling with senior boxers who will guide me.” .
The 22-year-old Kavondo travelled out of Kenya for the first time to Gulu in Uganda with his club, Kayole Rapid, this year.. He lost on points to Africa Military Games light-welterweight champion Innocent Amoko of Uganda.
Kavondo started boxing in 2021 at Kayole Rapid while in form two at St Paul’s Boys High School in Maragua in Central Kenya Region.
The trio of Kavondo, Wandera and Omondi made their international debut in the Africa Zone 3 Championships in Nairobi all of them winning bronze medals.
Pitted against Cameroon’s more experienced Oumarou Mouhamed, Kavondo caused a major upset defeating the fancied visitor on points to move to the semi-finals. He was eliminated by DR Congo’s Kabengela Ntumba with featherweight Paul Ouma also winning bronze after losing to the eventual gold medallist Kassim Murungi of Uganda in the semi-finals.
In addition to Wandera, Murungi and Omondi, other five boxers in the 13-man team making their debut in the World Championships are Africa Zone 3 minimumweight champion Silus Onyango, Africa Military Games flyweight champion Kelvin “Young” Maina, lightweight Washington Odhiambo, cruiserweight Chris Ochanda and Africa super-heavyweight silver medallist Clinton Macharia who made an impressive international debut in the 2024 Africa Elite Championships in Kinshasa, DR Congo.
Kelvin Maina and Washington Wandera are however not new to top-flight boxing having represented KDF in various international tournaments including the 2021 World Military Championships in Moscow, Russia.
“I’m very ready for this challenge to me its not like the first one because I was in Moscow 2021 in the World Military Championships,” says Maina, adding: “Some of my opponents in Moscow are the same ones l’ll meet in Dubai so I’m ready for anyone whom the draw will place me against. I have trained well and I believe in myself I’m a world champion prospect. So I urge all my fans to wait for the good news. I’m focused on the attractive prize money at stake, I’ll conquer the world in Dubai.”
Maina is not worried by big names in the flyweight division such as the defending champion and Paris Olympic gold medallist Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan and Zambia’s Paris Olympic Games quarter-finalist as well as African Games champion Patrick “Baddo” Chinyemba.
“I’m not shaken at all, I have watched both of them in past competitions and the last Olympics, all l can say I’m skillfull to face them and bring back a medal. I will up my game in Dubai because I have what it takes to compete at that level and winning a gold medal is very much possible.”
The longest-serving members in the Kenya team are captain Boniface “The Hammer” Mogunde, bantamweight Shaffi Bakari and African Games middleweight champion Edwin Okong’o who made his international debut at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Mogunde’s debut was at the 2019 African Games and Shaffi in the 2017 Africa Elite Championships in Congo Brazzaville.
“I’ve seen it all, I have trained well and I’m in the best shape ever to face any opponent on earth, with God ahead of me nothing is impossible,” says the reigning Africa light-middleweight champion Mogunde appearing in the World Championships for the third time.
On his part Shaffi is calm as usual praying to Allah to open the way and fight for him in Dubai. It’s his fourth World Championships having first taken part in this global event in 2017 in Hamburg, Germany.
“I have all the experience, faced tough opponents, I’m fit because we’ve been training throughout the season. For now let’s hope for the best in Dubai,” says Shaffi.
Twice Africa light-heavyweight bronze medallist Robert Okaka aka Man Man Ngori and Africa Zone 3 heavyweight silver medallist Peter “The Beast” Abuti are taking part in the World Championships for the second time. They are capable of making it to the money and medal bracket though Abuti was not at his best in the Zone 3 Championships but he’s capable of rising to the occasion if he gets his usual rhythm in the ring.
Boxing Federation of Kenya Secretary-General David Munuhe told boxersworld.co.ke they will depart for Dubai today in the evening. Before departure, the boxers will be treated to a heavy sumptuous lunch by BFK at the Chel-C Hotel known for serving tasty fresh fish or kamfishero if you like to the insiders.
Kenya’s 19-man delegation to Men’s World Boxing Championships:
Minimumweight: Silas Onyango
Flyweight:Kelvin Maina
Bantamweight: Shaffi Bakari
Featherweight: Paul Omondi
Lightweight:Washington Wandera
Light-welterweight: Caleb Wandera
Welterweight: Wiseman Kavondo
Light-middleweight: Boniface Mogunde (captain)
Middleweight: Edwin Okong’o
Light-heavyweight: Robert Okaka
Cruiserweight: Chrispin Ochanda
Heavyweight: Peter Abuti
Super-heavyweight: Clinton Macharia
Head coach: Musa Benjamin
Deputy head coach: David Munuhe
Trainer: John Waweru
Head of delegation: Anthony Otieno Ombok
Communication Director: Duncan Kuria
Physio: Sospeter Kinuthia
Photos by Duncan Kuria aka Sugar Ray
