She has now decided to make a comeback to the sport she loves passionately and appeals to the forces and her county to employ her
Kisumu County’s first ever female boxer to represent Kenya’s national team, Ruth Odongo, quit boxing in 2012 to embark on a vigorous search for a job.
“I realised boxing wasn’t putting food on my table at all so I decided to look for a job,” explains Ruth on why she decided to step out of the ring.
She soon found out getting employment in the forces was not that easy after more than three unsuccessful attempts to join Kenya Prisons Service.
“They kept on promising us but they didn’t fulfill their promises in Police KDF, Prisons and Administration Police.
“I tried as much as I could but all in vain especially at the Kenya Prisons recruitment. I went there more than thrice.
“At the Prisons Training College in Ruiru I passed all tests and I was told to wait for a phone call which never happened,” says a disappointed Ruth.
After tarmacking for the last 13 years, a determined Ruth has not lost hope. Now she wants to make a comeback to boxing next year (2026) to see whether this time around she will be employed through boxing.
“I’m appealing to the forces again to consider my appeal for a job, Kisumu County and any other good Samaritan to assist me, life is now more difficult without employment,” says the never-say-die Ruth.
“I love boxing so much, I can’t just I give up easily. l’m passionate on boxing it’s in my blood,” says the mother of two boys.
“I’m now married with more responsibilities that’s why I desperately need a job, I have two baby boys, the first one is called Malcolm Evans he’s is in grade 1, the second one is four months old now he’s called Maldrian Joseph.”
Scarcity of jobs is currently the most challenging hurdle facing Kenyan boxers. Some boxers have quit the sport on realising it’s difficult to be employed through boxing unlike in the past when boxers were employed by big organisations such as Kenya Breweries, Kenya Ports Authority, Posta, Kimbo, Kenya Airways, Kenya Railways and KGGCU. They all later disbanded their boxing clubs owing to huge expenditure involved without returns coupled with the shaky financial situation.
Besides looking for a job, what else brings back Ruth to boxing?
“I just have a feeling I haven’t done enough. I need to do my best for my country, and given a chance I can make it,” she told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview.
She has now put on more weight, and intends to fight in the welterweight or the light-middleweight divisions.
Ruth Odongo made history in 2010 when she became the first ever female boxer from Kisumu County to represent Kenya’s national boxing team in the Women’s World Boxing Championships in Barbados, losing to Japan’s Ayako Minowa at bantamweight.
Barbados marked the first time for the Kenyan female boxers to participate in a major international tournament.
In addition to Ruth Odongo, other pioneer boxers in the Kenya team were light-flyweight Mildred Atieno, featherweight Lorna Kusa, lightweight Mary Muthoni, light-welterweight Durry Wanjiku, welterweight Nelly Akoth aka Sonko Msoto, middleweight Liz Andiego, light-heavyweight Media Muhatia and heavyweight Joselyn Mareh, now the treasurer of Meru County.
Lighweight Mary Muthoni was the only Kenyan winner stopping Grenada’s Chloe Toussaint in the second round.
Ruth recalls with nostalgia her memorable achievement of punching her way to the national team.
“I felt so happy and excited as the first female boxer from Kisumu to represent the national team,” says Ruth, adding:”Being in the national team was such a proud feeling. It encouraged me that my potential was recognised. I’m still young and stronger to achieve more for my country.”
In the trials to select Kenya’s team for the 2010 Women’s World Championships held at Undugu St Teresa’s Boxing Club, Ruth defeated her rival Rebah Matanda whom Ruth describes as her toughest opponent then in her weight division.
“Selection of the team was done on merit, no boxer was handpicked,” says John Waweru who travelled with the team to Barbados as the coach. Other officials accompanying the boxers were manager David Njenga aka Binaisa and the federation boss Samson Mugacha.
Commenting on her loss in Barbados, Ruth says: “I just lost the bout because of lack of exposure, inadequate training coupled with lack of equipment and motivation.”
Through her commitment and dedication to boxing, Ruth was again selected in the bantamweight division for the 2012 Women’s World Boxing Championships in Qinhuangdao, China. Other boxers in the team were flyweight Christine Ongare, featherweight Rebah Matanda, lightweight Mary Muthoni, welterweight Durry Wanjiku and middleweight Liz Andiego. Coaches were John Waweru assisted by Charles Mukula and team manager Albert Matito.
Pitted against Australia’s by Chernaka Johnson, Ruth fought well but went down on points.
“My fight with the Australian boxer was tough but I didn’t give up because I believed in myself and that has always been my motto never to give up,” says the Kenyan boxer.
On return home from China, Ruth decided to quit boxing in search of a job to make ends meet owing to the difficult life she was going through in Nyalenda slums, Kisumu.
Ruth started learning boxing in 2009 at the Railways Boxing Club under coach Lawrence Jaoko, a former international boxer.
“A fellow boxer who was my neighbour at Nyalenda inspired me to join boxing,” says Ruth.
Owing to lack of school fees, Ruth was on-and-out of school but in 2004 she managed to sit for her primary school exams in Goro Primary School in Siaya County and joined Shady Garden Academy in Kisumu.
“Lack of school fees again forced me to drop out of Shady Academy but I didn’t lose hope. I enrolled in a private institution where I successfully completed my “O” level education in 2015 to make sure I have the necessary papers.
“I was learning, paying fees, at the same time going to the gym. Life has been so cruel to me it hasn’t been an easy journey, I have suffered enough but I’m happy I did my fourth form examination.”
Ruth is impressed by the progress of boxing in Kisumu.
“Boxing in Kisumu has really developed, and I’m glad to see more female boxers taking up the sport such as our latest find Sonia Achieng,” says Ruth.
Exit Ruth Odongo. Enter Everlyn Akinyi who took over from Ruth, becoming the second female boxer from Kisumu to join Kenya’s national team in 2015. Akinyi improved on where Ruth had left off by winning the first ever gold medal by a Kisumu female boxer at the 2022 Zone 3 Championships in Kinshasa, DR Congo, in the welterweight class.
Akinyi later moved to the paid ranks making her debut in Addis Ababa last year (2024).
Now there’s new sensation from Kisumu, 16-year-old Sonia Achieng. She travelled to Algeria for the inaugural African School Games but didn’t enter the ring because she had no opponent in her respective weight category. She is the national novices and intermediate light-welterweight champion.
Sonia, a product of Korumba Delta Boxing Club in Nyalenda under coach Charles Onyango, is likely to represent Kenya in the 2026 Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal.
There’s no stopping Kisumu County’s ascendancy to glory under the dynamic leadership of Anthony “Jamal” Otieno who is also the President of the Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK). Among other Kisumu County officials contributing to the rise of this lakeside county in boxing are Secretary-General Dominic Opiyo and head coach Vincent Odongo.
