▪️ The Zone 3 featherweight champion is now aiming for her second gold in the 2026 African Elite Championships with a total of $1000,000 prize money at stake
March 17, 2026
In the heart of Uganda’s flourishing boxing scene, a breath of fresh air has arrived in the form of Fatuma “The Thunder” Nabikolo, a charismatic and stylish featherweight boxer who is redefining the image of African women in the ring.
Known for her technical brilliance and sparkling charisma, the talented Fatuma, a product of Kololo High Boxing Club, has rapidly transformed from a local school champion and national heroine to a leading continental contender.
After her sterling show in the 2025 Africa Zone 3 Championships in Nairobi, winning featherweight gold, Fatuma is now aiming to add another gold medal in the 2026 Africa Elite Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships.
With her combination of brilliant technical ability and undeniable style, Fatuma is not just winning titles but she’s also stealing hearts, bringing a breath of freshness in the women’s game. She does not just walk into the ring; she owns it.
A darling of boxing fans with her infectious personality, tactical precision and pre-fight persona, Fatuma embodies a new generation of Ugandan boxers aiming to dominate the continent. She’s on a relentless unstoppable rise to the top, itching to stamp her authority in the 2026 Africa Elite Men’s and Women’s Championships.
“I’m really looking forward to the African tournament to prove I’m the best, I don’t fear any opponent,” Fatuma told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview.
“I want to win my second gold medal, I hope IBA Africa will soon announce the venue and the dates of the event so that I programme myself better.”
Fatuma thundered her way into the international limelight with a bronze medal at the 2024 Mandela African Boxing Cup Championships in Durban, South Africa. It was her debut appearance for the national team.
A scintillating show in the finals of the 2025 Africa Zone 3 Championships in Nairobi earned Fatuma her first gold medal, scoring a 5-0 points victory over DR Congo’s Phoba Kerene.
Inspired by her classic performance in Nairobi, Fatuma landed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, bubbling with confidence for the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games.
Putting aside the stiff competition ahead, Fatuma was optimistic of winning her second gold medal.
“I so psyched up in Riyadh, I knew none could handle me there,” says Fatuma.
Her big appetite for gold in Riyadh turned out to be a big disappointment. Together with her teammate Angel Katushabe, the duo were denied participation by the organisers owing to lack of mandatory genetic sex tests certificates, a new requirement by World Boxing to determine gender eligibility.
“I was so pissed off but just like a punch in boxing I absorbed the pain and moved on,” recalls Fatuma.
Looking ahead to the Africa Championships, the prominent featherweights to worry Fatuma is Tunisia’s Olympian and 2019 African Games gold medallist Kholouloud Hlimi of Tunisia if she’s in the mix and Botswana’s twice Africa champion Keamogetse Kenosi who is understand to have resumed training after taking a long break from boxing.
DR Congo’s 2017 and 2023 Africa featherweight/lightweight champion, Marcelat Sakobi, is now campaigning as a pro in Belgium but nothing stops her from competing since pros are now allowed in amateur boxing.
Fatuma also keeps herself abreast with African boxing leadership. She’s so happy DR Congo’s federation boss Ferdinand Ilunga Luyoyo is the President of the newly-created IBA Africa.
“I’m really thrilled to see General Luyoyo is leading IBA Africa, since we know him as a good leader. I’m expecting more prize money tournaments in Africa,” says Fatuma, adding: “We saw what he did in Tunisia pro boxing card, I know he will improve our lives with prize money tournaments just like IBA are doing.
“We boxers appreciate IBA’s efforts to empower us financially through the prize money.
“This is what we boxers want not just fighting for nothing, the world has changed. Now I know if I win gold in the Africa Championships I’m assured of earning some money. When I play and I win a gold medal, I expect good money, we’re are no longer wasting time playing without anything. Long live INTERNATIONAL BOXING ASSOCIATION. AM PROUD OF THESE TOURNAMENTS. I’m confident I’ll win a gold medal in the Africa tournament and also improve my boxing record.”
For her workouts, you’ll find Fatuma at KBC Gym in town and MASCO Gym in Mulago.
Fatuma further narrates her weekly training schedule and what time she wakes up.
“I wake up at 8am and say my prayers, then proceed to the gym. I do train daily from Monday to Friday from 10am to 1pm.
“I do road work thrice a week, and that is on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, those are the days I don’t do sparring. And I usually do road work in the morning.
“I do have challenges but I no longer focus on them because there’s no way I can be great without challenges.
“So I turn the challenges into my inspiration, I train hard to overcome them so that I can be great.
“I have different sparring partners like Sandra she’s a professional boxer.
“I intend to keep on winning my Champions League matches to remain in shape for international tournaments.”
Who’s her toughest opponent in Uganda now? I ask Fatuma.
“In Uganda, no one is my fierce rival rather it’s me that they fear.”
On her loss in the Champions League to Najjembe Nadia, Fatuma says: “I fought Nadia sometime back, I won the fight but she was given the verdict, that’s when I was boxing as a bantamweight
“In our second match I beat Nadia clean, there was no way of robbing my fight since it was a 5-0 victory.”
All Fatuma wants now is build-up matches against tougher opponents to prepare thoroughly for the African Elite Championships..
Her parting shot? “I train hard and win easy, if a boxer doesn’t train well, he or she is praparing for failure.”
