Newly-crowned Kenya’s national intermediate super-heavyweight champion Lameck “Tarzan” Okumu is now focused on this month’s Kenya Open Championships in Nairobi.
With the novices and intermediate titles under his belt, Okumu, who works as a motorbike rider commonly known as boda boda in Kenya, feels he has what it takes to silence the top super heavyweights in the country.
“They can’t stand my power and skills, and I have a new punch called jajuok, they’ll not see it coming it will hit them hard like lightning,” quipped the 26-year-old father of one boy, Luan Li Okumu.
It took not more than a minute and a half for the muscular Okumu to stop Nairobi’s Ian Maina in the finals of the Intermediate Championships on April 5 in Thika town, 42 kilometres northeast of the Central Business District of Kenya’s capital city Nairobi.
“The ref stopped the fight though I wasn’t yet done with my opponent, I was preparing to inflict more pain on him he’s so lucky,” says Okumu, one of the impressive winners of the three-day event held at Thika Community Hall which was fully packed during the finals.
Okumu and promising female light-welterweight Sonia Atieno were the toast of Kisumu’s team with Atieno stopping Nairobi’s Cynthia Wambui in the third round to signal her intention to dislodge KDF’s international Cynthia Mwai in the Kenya Open Championships.
Their victories propelled Kisumu to the second overall position behind winners Nairobi.
Okumu attributes his steady rise to coach Vincent Odongo who taught him the basics of this combat sport when he joined Milimani Boxing Club in 2021.
“I’ve learnt a lot from my coach, he taught me the importance of discipline, respect to everyone, avoid underrating my opponents in the ring and to avoid bad friends.
“I owe my novices and intermediate titles to coach Odongo. My burning ambition is to represent the national team I’m confident of being there.”
Coach Odongo is full praise of Okumu for what he has achieved so far.
“Lameck can make a great boxer, he’s so respectful and disciplined,” says Odongo, a student of one of Kisumu’s famous boxers Lawrence “Cobra” Jaoko who was his coach when he started boxing in 2005 in Kisumu.
“Lameck is capable of emulating Jaoko if he becomes financially stable, a pressing problem facing most boxers in Kisumu.”
In addition to Jaoko, among other top internationals who learnt their trade in Kisumu is Zack Amalemba, winner of the national intermediate heavyweight title in 1971 at Kaloleni Social Hall in Nairobi earning his first call up to the national team which was preparing for the inaugural East African Championships at Nairobi’s City Hall.
Amalemba’s potential secured him a job at Kenya Prisons, and he’s famously known for knocking out Kenya’s dreaded boxer David Attan in the first round of their middleweight bout during the 1976 Montreal Olympics trials at Desai Memorial Hall.
While Okumu is convinced he can attain the standards of Jaoko and Amalemba, he feels his current shaky financial situation might hinder his progress.
“I work as boda boda rider, and live in Nyamasaria Kasule, life is just too hard for me and the rest of the boxers in Kisumu.
“The motorbike is not mine, I make like 600 shillings per day I give the owner 300 shillings and I take the other half. It’s just hand to mouth living taking care of my wife and son Luan, rent is 1,500 per month.”
He feels if he had his own motorbike life would be easier for him.
“Having my own motorbike means whatever I earn is mine I don’t share it with anybody,” says Okumu, adding:”I’m very determined to have my own motorbike and save money to buy another one so that I can employ one of my fellow boxers to earn some money.
“Life is hard for Kisumu boxers, we need support and a properly equipped gym under Kisumu County, we have many good boxers but some are forced to quit boxing to concentrate on working to feed their families.”
Odongo appeals to Kisumu County bigwigs to employ the boxers to encourage them pursue boxing without much stress.
“If some of the boxers get jobs in the county then we can overcome the financial challenges facing boxers in Kisumu,” says Odongo.
Okumu wakes up early in the morning and works up to around 6pm and then goes for training at Milimani Club.
“It’s a difficult life, riding a motorbike the whole and then you go for training it’s not easy,” says Okumu but he believes on the adage: “When the going gets tough the tough get going.
