▪️He joins KDF’s Dennis Muthama in the bantamweight class for team training before the selectors decide who will make it for the World Championships
Africa bronze medallist Shaffi Bakari has been brought on board the Dubai-bound Kenya’s national team for this year’s World Boxing Championships from December 2-13.
National team head coach Musa Benjamin said they have put into account Shaffi’s experience and decided to include him at bantamweight with Dennis Muthama.
“Muthama still remains in the team, we will monitor them during our training sessions and decide who’ll finally travel to Dubai because both of them are good boxers,” said Musa.
Muthama and Shaffi were due to have met in the finals of the last leg of the national league in Kisumu on November 22, 2025, but the Police boxer was unable to fight due to a recurring injury.
It would have been their third encounter this year. They first met in the second leg of the league in Mombasa with Muthama outpointing Shaffi. In their second fight during the fourth leg of the league in Nanyuki, Shaffi avenged the defeat with a deserved points win over Muthama who is the reigning African Military Games bantamweight champion.
The other weight classes with two boxers are flyweight Kelvin Maina and Emmanuel Chondo, featherweight Paul Omondi and Mwinyi Kombo, light-heavyweight Robert Okaka and Humphrey Ochieng and heavyweight Peter Abuti with John Oyugi.
The Kenya team trained together for the first time today, November 24, at Police Depot in Mathare. They will be there this week before departure to Dubai.
Kenya’s team for the World Championships:
Minimumweight: Silas Onyango (Police)
Flyweight: Kelvin Maina (KDF), Emmanuel Chondo
Bantamweight: Shaffi Bakari (Police), Dennis Muthama (KDF)
Featherweight Paul Omondi (Police), Mwinyi Kombo
Lightweight: Washington Wandera (KDF)
Light-welterweight: Caleb Wandera (Police)
Welterweight Wiseman Kavondo (Police)
Light-middleweight: Boniface Mogunde (Police, captain)
Middleweight: Edwin Okong’o (KDF)
Light-heavyweight: Robert Okaka (KDF), Humphrey Ochieng
Cruiserweight: Chrispin Ochanda (KDF)
Heavyweight: Peter Abuti (KDF), John Oyugi
Super-heavyweight: Clinton Macharia (Police)
Head coach: Musa Benjamin
Deputy head coach: David Munuhe
Trainer: John Waweru
Head of delegation: Anthony Otieno Ombok
Communication Director: Duncan Kuria
