▪️Robert Okaka, Ben Juma and Dennis Muthama the only boxers to have won in all the three legs of the oldest league in Africa
▪️Big up to Sombea and Kasarani Youth Club for making an impression in the league so far at number three and four on overall points table
August 24, 2026
As expected, the Kenya National Boxing League is turning into a two-horse race between defending champions Police “Chafua Chafua” and national champions Kenya Defence Forces.
The soldiers are currently marching to their own beat, winning three legs in a row to the chagrin of Police lead coach James Wasao who must be spending sleepless nights mapping out a winning strategy to hit back at their bitter rivals in the fourth leg in Kisumu which will be fire for fire!!
After three gruelling legs, the dominant KDF has opened a massive 22-point lead over Police, topping with 72 points ahead second-placed Police on 50 points after three legs.
While the two giants started locked at 22 points each after the first leg in Nakuru, KDF broke away in Mombasa (27–16) and completely dominated Vihiga with 23 points to Police’s dismal 12. With only two legs remaining—Kisumu in November and Nanyuki in December—Police are running out of time to salvage their title.
Big up to newcomers in the league Sombea and Kasarani Youth. Despite their financial challenges as community clubs, they have put up a creditable performance so far, Sombea placed third overall with 23 points and Kasarani fourth on 21 points while Prisons, once a powerhouse in Kenya boxing in the 60s and 70s, are fifth with 19 points.
Three-in-a-Row Stars
Only three boxers have maintained a perfect record this season, proving to be the backbone of their respective teams.
Robert Okaka aka Man Ngori (KDF):Twice Africa light-heavyweight bronze medallist and IBA World Championships quarter-finalist looks completely invincible. He has now defeated his closest challenger, Cosby Ouma, five consecutive times.
Dennis Muthama (KDF): The Africa Military Games bantamweight champion kept his streak alive, but barely. He escaped defeat by the skin of his teeth in the second leg, squeezing past G44’s stubborn Emmanuel Otieno in a razor-thin 3-2 decision.
Ben Juma (Kasarani Youth):The rising lightweight star has gatecrashed the institutional party, matching the soldiers punch for punch boasting of three consecutive wins over the highly regarded Samuel Njau.
The Chasing Pack with Two Wins
Several big names sit just behind the leaders with two wins each, often due to missed legs or shock upsets.
National team captain Boniface “The Hammer” Mogunde is unbeaten locally for eight years. However, he missed the Vihiga leg, allowing his tough rival Alvin Oduor to claim the light-middleweight final against Police’s Joseph Shigali.
Minimumweight Damacline Boyani, flyweight Veronica Mbithe (who just suffered a shock first-ever loss to Boxgirls’ Lencer Akinyi after beating her six times before), and African Games bantamweight bronze medallist Amina Martha all hold two wins. Amina looks invincible remaining unbeaten since 2019 when she lost to Alice Waiyego. KDF’s light-middleweight Friza Asiko, winner in Nakuru but missing in the second and third legs, is unchallenged locally.
KDF’s Edwin Okong’o (middleweight), Chris Ochanda (cruiserweight), and Peter “The Beast” Abuti (heavyweight) have been ruthlessly dominant each one of them with meek opposition, and unlikely to be beaten easily locally.
On the Police side in addition to Mogunde on male boxers, African super-heavyweight silver medallist Clinton Macharia and welterweight Sam Ndiema keep the cops in the hunt both with two wins each.
Tight competition in the light-welterweight division
If you want unpredictable action, look no further than the light-welterweight class. It has crowned three different winners in three legs:Leg 1 (Nakuru): Won by Sombea’s Ayub Waweru.Leg 2 (Mombasa): Claimed by KDF’s Pius Macharia.Leg 3 (Vihiga): Clinched by Prisons’ Africa bronze medallist Aloice Vincent.
There is a glimmer of hope for Police “Chafua Chafua.” In September 2026, three top-tier boxers will complete their training at Kiganjo, Paul Omondi (Featherweight)Caleb Wandera (Light-welterweight) and Wiseman Kavondo (Welterweight).
Their return could inject pure fire into the league but it’s unlikely they will be in shape for the league after the rigorous training in Kiganjo.
Nonetheless their return to action when they catch up will shake up their respective weight classes. The southpaw Kavondo is expected to offer stiff challenge in the welterweight division, where KDF’s Fred Omondi recently avenged a past defeat by beating Police’s Sam Ndiema in Vihiga. Meanwhile, Paul Omondi will complicate life at featherweight, a category currently ruled by Kasarani’s Chris Juma with two wins and Police’s Mwinyi Kombo while Wandera will obviously want to flex his muscles to show Aloice Vincent, Pius Macharia and Ayub Waweru he is the topman in this competitive division. Wandera, Omondi and Kavondo won bronze medals in the 2025 Africa Zone 3 Championships in Nairobi.
The 4th leg in Kisumu promises to be explosive. All eyes will be on whether Police will instantly deploy their new Kiganjo graduates, and whether those boxers will be in peak shape for high-octane ring warfare. If Police cannot bridge the gap in Kisumu, KDF will uncork their champagne bottle cruising majestically into Nanyuki ready to snatch the crown. Word has it KDF will parade all their snipers for the Kisumu bonanza to make sure they don’t slide in the penultimate leg of Africa’s oldest boxing league now at 45 years.
