▪️The soldiers have 10 boxers in today’s finals, Police six followed by Kasarani Youth, Prisons and Nairobi County with three each
▪️Rising giant Ben Juma vs Samuel Njau in main Fight of the Day
▪️Man Ngori Robert Okaka eyeing fifth win over Cosby Ouma
▪️Africa Zone 3 champion Veronica Mbithe vs Boxgirls’ Lencer Akinyi in third fight with the KDF Corporal leading 2-0
▪️Jane Wangare set to avenge humiliating Mombasa defeat against former street girl Damacline Boyani
▪️Mbotela, Jericho war looming in the light-middleweight final between KDF’s Alvin Oduour against Joseph Shigali aka Shigz aka Msee wa Ndechu
▪️Stakes high at light-welterweight as Africa bronze medallist Aloice Vincent seeks redemption vs in-form Pius Macharia of KDF
▪️Chris Juma sounds warning to Euticus Wanjau of G44
▪️Africa Youth Games bronze medallist Clinton Omondi aka Canelo and Kibra Youth clubmate Steve Alikiba are also in the mix
August 22, 2026
Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) boxing team made a resounding statement at the third leg of the Kenya National Boxing League, overwhelming rivals and defending champions Kenya Police by securing 10 slots in the finals compared to Police’s six at Mamboha Stadium in Vihiga County about 370km northwest of Kenya’s capital city Nairobi on August 21, 2026
While the soldiers put on a dominant display to signal their title intentions, the day’s biggest upset was in the women’s middleweight division, where Summit Boxing Club rookie Juliet Opondo from Kisumu stunned international star Elizabeth Akinyi with a close 3-2 points victory.
Akinyi, now focusing more on pro boxing, last fought in the amateur ring in 2023 when she represented the national team in the Women’s World Championships in Delhi, India.
“My opponent was more aggressive than me, giving me no room to plan, and she’s also strong,” said Akinyi who cautioned Juliet to prepare for the rematch in the fourth leg in Kisumu.
“I’m now going back to the gym, let Juliet train well because I’ll humiliate her Infront her fans in Kisumu but I accept defeat honourably.”
In an interview with boxersworld.co.ke, Juliet praised Akinyi as a good boxer and that she’s the toughest opponent she has fought so far since she started boxing as class four pupil in 2014 in Siaya under coach Joseph Ochieng “D4”.
“In my previous fights my opponents didn’t last three rounds, this was the first time I went three rounds. Akinyi is tough and has a lot of gas in her, weee! wacha tu,” said Juliet who celebrates her 21st birthday on September 16, 2026.
The military boxers took control of the three-day tournament, displaying superior depth and fitness to outclass their traditional rivals. By sending 10 pugilists into the final bouts, KDF put themselves in a prime position to dethrone Police, who struggled to match the soldiers’ relentless pace and intensity across the weight categories.
Of the 10 KDF boxers in the finals, two are their top female pugilists in Kenya, 2025 Africa Zone 3 champion Veronica “Pioneer” Mbithe and featherweight Pauline Chege, a product of Kayole Rapid Club coach Kenneth “Valdez” Ochieng. Police too have two female boxers in the finals, African Games bantamweight bronze medallist Amina Martha and featherweight Rahab Mumbi who battles Pauline Chege in the finals while Mbithe takes on Lencer Akinyi who made her international debut in the 2025 Women’s World Championships.
Asked on her game plan for the fight against Mbithe, Lencer said: “I’m prepared to give my best, not to prove whether I’ll win or lose. I respect Mbithe as an opponent, but I also respect myself and my hard work, let the ring decide who’s better.”
With two victories under her belt against Lencer, Corporal Mbithe is oozing confidence.”You know I’m a soldier, we hate to lose,” she said.
Amina Martha is favoured to overcome Nairobi County’s Mary Anyango at bantamweight. Amina is unbeaten locally since losing to Alice Waiyego in 2019. Alice is now a pro and has won all her three fights so far..Maybe it’s time Amina also combined pro and amateur to boost her kitty and get stiffer opposition in the paid ranks.
Kasarani Youth, Prisons and Nairobi County have three boxers each in the finals, Sombea and Nakuru ABC two each with G44, Vihiga County, Summit BC, Kibra Olympic and Kisumu County one apiece.
The Fight of the Day in today’s finals is the third encounter between KDF’s 2022 Africa silver medallist Samuel Njau and rising star Ben Juma of Kasarani Youth Club who has defeated Njau twice in Nakuru and Mombasa.
“This is my time to rule I can’t accept defeat it’s going to be war,” Ben Juma told boxersworld.co.ke
On his part, Njau – normally a man of a few words – said God will handle everything for him.
The Kasarani Youth Club boxer is known as a strong body puncher and will prefer close quarter exchanges while Njau will use his effective jab, nimble foot work to keep Ben at bay with occasional sporadic combinations.
Ben’s younger brother Chris Juma meets Euticus Wanjau of G44 in the featherweight final.
“He’s not a very difficult opponent I’ll handle him,” said Chris. He was longing to clash with his main rival Police’s Mwinyi Kombo aka Giant Killer.
“I really wanted to fight Kombo and beat him up, I didn’t like the dirty game he played against me in Mombasa,” said Chris who has defeated Kombo three times and Kombo has won twice.
KDF’s World Championships light-heavyweight quarter-finalist and twice Africa bronze medallist Robert Okaka aka Man Ngori meets Cosby Ouma for the fifth time with Okaka leading 4-0.
Cosby, a bronze medallist at the 2019 African Games, is yet to regain the form that saw him shine in Rabat, Morocco.
“Let’s see how things will be today,” is all he said when sought for comment on his fight against the big-hitting Man Ngori. He has won all the four fights against Cosby inside the distance.
Prisons’ Africa bronze medallist Aloice Vincent can’t wait for the rematch against in-form KDF light-welterweight Pius Macharia to avenge the Mombasa defeat. Macharia outpointed Vincent in the second leg of the league in Kenyas port city of Mombasa.
Vincent’s clubmate, minimumweight Jane Wangare is also yearning to avenge her shocking defeat to Kasarani Youth’s former streetgirl Damacline Boyani. Against all expectations, Boyani outpointed national team boxer Wangare in the second leg of the league. Boyani is still smarting from her defeat by southpaw Grace Atieno of Githurai Thailand Club in the recent finals of the Robert Wangila Memorial tournament.
Promising Angola Youth Games bronze medallist Clinton “Canelo” Omondi meets Kibra Youth clubmate Steve Alikiba in the minimumweight division. Alikiba will be fighting for Sombea on loan. It’s time BFK comes up league regulations to stop this unregulated movement of boxers.
In the semi-finals, Omondi outpointed KDF’s Ali Mohammed while Alikiba saw off Joseph Moses of Nakuru ABC.
