Fans should brace for a scintillating clash between a cop and a soldier at Alliance Francaise in the affluent residential area of Nyali
A third encounter between two of Kenya’s best light-heavyweights is in the offing as boxers look ahead to the highly anticipated second leg of the Kenya National Boxing League in Kenya’s coastal town of Mombasa from July 17-19.
It will be a bruising, fascinating and an action-packed fight expected to be a dynamic display of strategy, skill and physical prowess with each boxer – as it normally happens in the ring – aiming to land clean punches to score points and avoid being hit. Coupled with the rivalry between KDF and Police this is definitely a powder keg.
Who will carry the day between KDF’s buoyant Robert Okaka aka Man Man Ngori and the resilient Humphrey “Jakababa” Ochieng of Police?
With two victories over Jakababa under his belt, Okaka is viewed by ring analysts as the favourite to chalk up his third consecutive win over the 33-year-old Police boxer who got involved with boxing in 2004 at Kayole Social Hall in Nairobi under coach Gilbert “Mamba” Miruka and was inspired by his father Charles Ochieng aka Karate to take up boxing.
“I am the owner of the weight and I will always defend it at any cost,” says a confident Okaka. He first defeated Jakababa in 2024 during the fourth leg of the league at Nanyuki Social Hall and this year, 2025, in the finals of Kenya Open Championships at Nairobi’s Charter Hall.
“I’m the best among the best but I can’t underrate my opponent, I respect him as a good boxer but he should prepare for another defeat,” Okaka told boxersworld.co.ke.
Is Jakababa ready for his third defeat by Okaka?
“No way,” says Jakababa who is likely to fight like an enraged tiger to avoid a third straight defeat by the soldier which will be embarrassing to say the least.
“Remember, everything happens at the right time so this is the right time for me,” Jakababa, a man of a few words, told me in a telephone interview without elaborating.
What he means, from my own interpretation, Mombasa will be the place where Okaka will fall with a big thud.
Boxing is like a game of chess in which you need to think fast one step ahead of your opponent.
And this is what Okaka has done to get the better of Jakababa in their two encounters always on top of his game making full use of the international experience he has gained in the World Championships and the Africa Championships. Okaka is already a proud owner of two bronze medals won in the 2023 and 2024 African Championships.
If Jakababa expected Okaka to fight him during the Kenya Open finals, that didn’t happen.
Instead, the KDF boxer – a product of coaches Elijah Mringie and Nixon Bisto at Jericho Boxing Club – opted to box, jabbing and smartly keeping Jakababa at bay with well delivered combinations.
“I’ve changed my approach, boxing is also entertainment not just fighting in the ring,” says Okaka, “This time he’ll see stars, I’m training on a very lethal punch.”
What fuels even more interest in the Okaka vs Jakababa fight is the intense rivalry between defending champions KDF and Police, the reigning Kenya Open champions.
It’s very painful for a cop to be beaten twice by a soldier. This makes the eagerly awaited Okaka, Jakababa third fight a must-watch showdown as Jakababa aims to redeem himself. Another defeat means he will now become Okaka’s regular customer.
The second leg of the league will also be part of the Kenya-France boxing cooperation with the French Embassy through Alliance Francaise having already donated boxing equipment worth over $20,000 to Mombasa clubs and sponsored National Coaches, Referees and Judges course at the Alliance Francaise Cultural Centre in Nyali, the venue of the second leg of the league.
See you there
