▪️ Rising star Ben Juma dismantles Africa silver medallist Samuel Njau with Africa champion Boniface Mogunde surviving second round eight count to defeat Mbotela boy Alvin Oduor aka Liwalo Liwe. It’s fire! for fire! in NaxVegas
▪️Mwinyi Kombo aka Giant Killer, Shaffi Bakari, Chris Juma and Dennis Muthama punch their way to today’s explosive semi-finals
May 15, 2026
The 45th Kenya National Boxing League exploded into action at Nakuru Old Town Hall with 92 boxers from 17 clubs displaying superb boxing in a bid to impress the selectors the ahead of the Gabon IBA Africa Zone 3 Championships in June..
In what promises to be a fierce 2026 league season, Kasarani Youth rising star Ben Juma made a massive statement of intent, dethroning 2022 Africa silver medallist Samuel Njau, while 2025 Zone 3 gold and silver medallists, Boniface Mogunde and Alvin Oduor, had Nakuru’s packed Old Town Hall roaring in appreciation of their spirited exchange of punches.
Gritty Mogunde survived a second round eight count to mount a late rally in the third round to decision KDF soldier Alvin Oduor 4-1.
Mogunde had an edge in the first and third rounds with Alvin dictating the pace in the second round in which he pierced through Mogunde’s defence to uncork speedy combinations which rocked the normally quiet Police boxer.
“I gave the bout my all I’m good with the results,
On to the next leg of the league in Mombasa,” said Alvin who has now lost to Mogunde twice. The first time was in the 2025 IBA Africa Zone 3 finals in which Mogunde outpointed the KDF boxer to win the gold and Alvin silver in Nairobi.
Mogunde has remained unbeaten locally for eight years but if he doesn’t watch out, the Mbotela Estate-bred Alvin is the boxer who will end his unbeaten run.
In the lightweight bout, Ben Juma had the better of the exchanges against Samuel Njau, time and again shaking him with rapid combinations.
The rusty Njau would have been safer with long range missiles and dancing his way out of danger but he chose to exchange punches at close quarters much to the delight of the 19-year-old Ben Juma who was the aggressor always having Njau on his backfoot with sporadic raids in Njau’s territory.
A big left exploded on Njau’s cheeks in the first round but referee Nelson Otieno ruled it a foul punch, warning Ben for butting.
The Kasarani Youth boxer-puncher increased his onslaught in the second round, resulting in Njau receiving an eight count. Njau’s punches lacked the firepower to trouble Ben Juma.
Like a true sportsman that he’s always is Njau humbly accepted defeat.
“Juma was the better boxer today, a lot of rust in me needs more work, more sparring and lots of competition,” Njau told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview but made it clear at his peak, he will silence Ben Juma.
“Juma will not defeat me once I’m in top shape, my timing was not sharp and my calculations not right but he’s a promising boxer. I have moved to lightweight because I’m more comfortable here and for the Olympics there’s no feather,” said Njau who made a comeback to boxing after being inactive for almost two years. The last time he fought locally was in a league match in Mombasa in 2024.
He won but he didn’t proceed to the final due to a cut. The cut sustained against Juma was the second one for Njau.
While Ben Juma was proud defeating an established boxer, he praised Njau for his resilience, singling him as the roughest and best of all the boxers he has fought.
“I was expecting war from Samuel Njau and I got it, I must say it was such a great experience fighting him, I learnt a lot,” Ben Juma told boxersworld.co.ke.
He went on:”I’m happy I won against Njau but I wish Kenya Open champion Emmanuel Omollo was here, I really wanted to meet him to show him I’m the true Open champion, I hope he will be in Mombasa for the second leg.” Omollo is not in Nakuru. He’s understood to be sorting out personal issues.
For other regulars, it was easy going, sailing to the semis without breaking a sweat.
African Games middleweight champion Edwin Okong’o of KDF stopped Nairobi’s Bradley Ochieng in the first round while Zone 3 silver medallist, cruiserweight Chris Ochanda scored the shortest victory of the day needing only 15 seconds to stop Victor Okeke from Mombasa’s Kongowea.
Africa Championships bronze medallist, Prisons’ Aloice Vincent stopped Nakuru’s Nelson Musa in the first round of the light-welterweight class with hard body shots which had the Nakuru boxer gasping for breath.
There’s tough competition in the bantamweight bout with Kenya Open champion Dennis Muthama, Shaffi Bakari and Chris Musyoka all in the semis. Musyoka eliminated Shaffi in the Kenya Open but lost to Muthama in the finals. Anything can happen here.
Kenya Open featherweight champion Chris Juma, younger brother to Ben Juma, and Africa Zone 3 silver medallist Mwinyi Kombo aka Giant Killer all cruised to the semis, and are likely to clash again in the finals like it happened in the Kenya Open with Chris outpointing Kombo.
The three-day event has attracted 94 boxers – 82 men and 12 women – from 17 clubs and ends with the finals on Saturday, May 16, 2026.
