▪️Githurai 44 and Kasarani Youth youngsters sparkle
▪️KDF’s Samuel Njau getting his groove back
▪️A furious Mombasa County’s SG Chrispin Onyango unleashes stinging jabs at AJAB Flour management, the flagship brand of Grain Industries Limited
▪️Second leg of Kenya National Boxing League attracts an impressive turnout of 102 boxers: 86 men and 16 women
▪️Mwinyi Kombo beats rival Chris Juma who has accused the Coastal boxer of dirty boxing
▪️ Glasgow-bound Mogunde and Okaka maintain their dignity in the ring
▪️Heavyweights scared of KDF’s Peter “The Beast” Abuti who has no opponent in Mombasa, earning his club three easy points
July 10, 2026
The opening day of the Kenya National Boxing League’s second leg at Mombasa’s Mama Ngina Waterfront delivered high-voltage drama, with four reigning national champions suffering shocking defeats.
One of the highlights of the 36 preliminary bouts was the surge of rising talent, notably the Kasarani Youth and Githurai 44 pugilists.
The coastal breeze did little to cool the fierce action in the ring, where 102 boxers (86 men and 16 women) stepped into the canvas for a thrilling day of non-stop action with four national champions falling by the wayside.
In a stunning upset, experienced Kenya Police international Shaffi Bakari, who has represented the national team from 2017, lost on points to upstart Emmanuel Otieno of Githurai 44. Bakari’s teammate and fellow regular international, Silas Onyango, also fell to Kasarani Youth minimumweight Morris Kimani, who exacted sweet revenge for a controversial loss in the Kenya Open Championships.
Onyango was joined on the casualty list by other national champions, featherweight Chris Juma (Kasarani Youth), lightweight Emmanuel Omollo (Police), and light welterweight Ayub Waweru (Sombea Boxing Club). Omollo was outclassed by text-book boxing from KDF’s 2022 Africa silver medalist Samuel Njau, while Waweru suffered a surprise 3-2 defeat against Kasarani Youth’s national novices champion Elvis Lincoln with Chris Juma losing for the second time to arch-rival, Mombasa-based
Mwinyi Kombo of Police. Chris accused Kombo of adopting dirty boxing.
“Mwinyi was very rough, pushing me all the time that I fell out of the ring, up to now my head is in pain but now I know what to do in the third leg of the league,” said Chris, younger brother to national lightweight silver medallist Ben Juma.
Kombo should watch out for Euticus Wanjau of Githurai 44 coached by former international Julius Theuri. Wanjau outpointed KDF’s Emmanuel Okoth.
As usual, Samuel Njau maintained his calm but delighted he’s gradually getting his groove back in the ring after an indifferent showing in some of his fights in the recent past.
“Glory to God, I’m on my way back,” Njau told boxersworld.co.ke ahead of his semi-final bout against Nakuru’s brawler Maxwell Otieno. There’s a high possibility of Njau again fighting his “mtaa” buddy Ben Juma who defeated Njau in the first leg in Nakuru. A deep gash above his eyes forced Njau out in the third round.
While some top internationals were sent packing, established stars such as Glasgow-bound Boniface Mogunde and Robert Okaka secured comfortable victories, with Okaka defeating Police’s George Cosby Ouma for the fourth time in a row this season at light-heavyweight while Mogunde maintained his respect in the ring with a first round stoppage victory over Malaki Bwire of Mbaraki in the light-middleweight class.
Mogunde is bracing up for another gruelling fight with KDF’s omena addict Alvin Oduor who stretched Mogunde to the brim in the first leg in Nakuru before the Police boxer won the bout 4-1.
At bantamweight, top contenders, national champion Dennis “Piston” Muthama and national silver medallist Chris Musyoki cruised to the semi-finals with Muthama stopping Nakuru’s Felix Kuria in the second round while southpaw Musyoki saw off Sombea’s Enock Wambua.
In other highlights, sensational Kasarani Youth Ben Juma outpointed Lamu’s Francis Oduor to maintain his unbeaten streak locally.
Prisons’ Africa bronze medallist Aloice Vincent, a product of Mathare North Boxing Club, beat Javan Omollo of Kisumu’s Summit Boxing Club at light-welter while KDF’s Pius Macharia outpointed Andrew Mbuya of Mombasa County.
It’s good to see KDF’s skillful welterweight Chrispin Murimi back in action after a two-year absence. Murimi narrowly lost 3-2 to Abdallah Juma of Mombasa County, accepting the defeat in true sportsmanship spirit.
“Generally from my side, I would say Thursday’s officiating was fair for all the fights that I watched.
On my side I agree Abdallah won, the first two rounds. I tried to box with him but my footwork exposed me a lot. I was forced to release the wardogs in the third round but that was not enough to convince the judges.
Two years ring rust is a long time but I am glad I finished the final round explosively,” Murimi told boxersworld.co.ke.
KDF’s 2025 Africa Zone 3 heavyweight silver medallist Peter “The Beast” Abuti is proving too hot to handle that in Mombasa he has no opponent.
This means KDF earns three points for a walkover given that this is not a championship content.
In Nakuru’s first leg, Abuti had no time to waste with his opponents. He stopped John Oyugi of Police in the second round of their semi-finals encounter, and in the finals he KO’d a timid Brian Miraj of Nairobi in the first round.
Meanwhile the Secretary-General of Mombasa County Boxing Association, Chrispin Onyango has hit out at Ajab Floor management for failing to support the second leg of the national boxing league as agreed, describing the last-minute withdrawal as an embarrassment to the boxing fraternity.
Here is Onyango’s full statement dated July 9, 2026:
“The Mombasa County Boxing Association wishes to express its profound disappointment regarding the failure of Ajab Flour to honour its commitment to support the National Boxing League being held at Mama Ngina Waterfront, Mombasa, from 9th to 11th July 2026.
“After several engagements and assurances from the company that they would partner with us for this prestigious national event, we proceeded to acknowledge Ajab Flour as a partner in our promotional materials and official publicity. We did so in good faith, believing that their commitment would be fulfilled. Unfortunately, despite the assurance, no support has been received from Ajab Flour. This has placed the organizing committee under immense financial pressure and has created an embarrassing situation before participating counties, officials, athletes, spectators, and the public.
“This disappointment extends beyond our association. It is a disappointment to the hundreds of young boxers from across the Coast and Kenya who have dedicated themselves to the sport with the hope that the corporate sector would stand with them. These young men and women represent discipline, determination, and the future of our nation. They deserve encouragement, not broken promises.
“Corporate partnership is built on trust, integrity, and accountability. When a company publicly commits to supporting a community initiative but fails to deliver without timely communication, it affects not only the event organizers but also the credibility of the event and the confidence of other potential partners.
We remain grateful to every individual, organization, volunteer, and well-wisher who has continued to support boxing despite the many challenges we face. Your contribution has enabled this championship to proceed and has kept the dreams of our athletes alive.
“Our hope is that Ajab Flour will reflect on this unfortunate situation and appreciate the impact their decision has had on the boxing fraternity and the youth of the Coastal region. We believe that young people deserve genuine partners who honour their commitments and invest meaningfully in sports development.
Despite these challenges, the National Boxing League has proceeded as scheduled because our commitment to the athletes is stronger than the obstacles we face. We remain dedicated to developing boxing, nurturing talent, and creating opportunities for the next generation of Kenyan champions.”
