DREAM FULFILLED AS 12 KENYAN BOXERS PREPARE FOR DEBUT
▪️It’s the burning desire of any ambitious boxer to represent the national team
October 11, 2025
Excitement is written all over the faces of 12 boxers as they train at the Mathare Police Depot on the outskirts of Nairobi’s Central Business District.
That’s where the Kenyan boxers are preparing for the Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championships set for Kasarani Indoor Arena from October 16-24.
As some of the 12 boxers spar against each other, they are careful not to incur any injury to mess up their eagerly awaited debut for the national team.
The 12 boxers are flyweights Diouf Muimi and Kelvin Maina, bantamweight Emmanuel Chondo, featherweights Mwinyi Kombo and Paul Omondi, light-welterweight Caleb Wandera, welterweight Wiseman Kavondo, light-middleweight Alvin Oduor, heavyweight John Oyugi, minimumweight Jane Wangare, bantamweight Sheila Auma and lightweight Sylvia Obwamu.
At 18 years Sheila is the baby of the team. The Kibra Olympic boxer started boxing in 2024 bursting into the limelight this year by capturing a treble: novices, intermediate and Kenya Open titles. In the Open she caused an upset beating international Ann Wanjiru who has now moved to Kisumu from Mombasa.
“I’m really looking forward to box for my country and win a medal,” Sheila told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview.
“I thank my coaches Patrick Safare and Hassan Salim for coaching me the basics.”
She appeals to well wishers to support her financially take up a course of her choice.
In addition to Sheila, other Kibra Club products in the team are featherweight, 21-year-old Paul Omondi now a member of Police Boxing Club and KDF’s Washington Wandera.
“I can’t wait to fight for my country for the first time,” says Omondi.
Kelvin Maina, bantamweight Emmanuel Chondo, featherweight Mwinyi Kombo and lightweight Sylvia Obwamu have had a taste of international boxing though not with the national team.
Maina was at the 2021 World Military Games in Russia and is the reigning African Military Games flyweight champion, a title he clinched in Abuja, Nigeria in 2024.
“I’ve really waited for this opportunity to represent my county I’m happy I’ve made it,” says Maina who started boxing in 2011 at Tommy Gee Boxing Club later renamed G44 under coach Julius Theuri, a former international. He moved to Thailand club in 2013 to work under Nairobi County head coach John Ochieng aka Chea. Maina clinched gold in 2014 in Dar es Salaam in an intercity clash between Nairobi and Dar es salaam.
Kombo aka Giant Killer represented Mombasa Combined in Tanga where he remained unbeaten in two matches. He fights for Prisons in the national league. Obwamu got a taste of international boxing this year representing Nairobi against Kampala, losing to Uganda’s African Championships bronze medallist Emily Nakalema.
“Nakalema is so far my toughest opponent,” says Sylvia who started boxing in 2021 under coach Sosman and she’s currently a member of Kariobangi Boxing Club.
Perhaps the happiest of all the debutants is Caleb Wandera. He has ended decades of Nakuru County not having a boxer in the national team.
In 2022, Wandera decided to learn taekwondo at Flamingo estate in Nakuru but switched to boxing the same year on realizing he couldn’t cope up with the expenses involved.
“I decided to change to boxing, and approached coach Peter Githinji he accepted to teach me boxing, I don’t regret making the change I’m so happy now I’ve been called up to the national team,” says Wandera.
“Training in Nairobi is more advanced than Nakuru. I thank the national head coach Musa Benjamin for including me in the national team, the gold is mine.”
Wandera relocated to Nakuru in 2019 from home in Nambale, Busia County.
Slumgirl Jane Wangare becomes the first ever boxer from Mukuru Fight-4-Life Boxing Club to represent the national team.
She’s a student of former international Benson Gicharu who is the coach and owner of the club.
Wangare will definitely inspire her teammates to work harder to emulate her. Besides joining the national team, boxing has enabled her land a job at Kenya Prisons.
Like Wangare, KDF’s light-middleweight Alvin Oduor should also thank boxing for enabling him get a job at Kenya Defence Forces.
A product of coach Raphael Kamuya aka Kamwana, Oduor has been very impressive in the league and is in the light-middleweight berth with African champion Boniface Mogunde. Their common enemy is Burundi’s Nestor Nduwarugira, a silver medallist in the 2024 Africa Championships in Kinshasa, DR Congo.
Jericho Boxing Club’s Emmanuel Chondo aka Manu and Mwinyi Kombo join Shaffi Bakari to increase to three the number of boxers from Coast Region in the national team. Chondo, brought up in Nairobi’s Jericho Estate, is from Kilifi County and attributes his success in boxing to coaches Elijah Mringie and Nixon Omondi Bisto.
Chondo’s rival in the ring Diouf “Bashday” Muimi, started boxing in 2018 handled by coaches Kennedy Muiruri and the late John Kimani at Mathare North Boxing Club. He’s the reigning Kenya Open flyweight champion and is so far unbeaten in the Kenya National Boxing League.
Photo design by Duncun Kuria aka Sugar Ray
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