Professional boxing made a rebound on November 14, as Kenyan boxers ran through their opponents from Uganda, Tanzania and Egypt, winning five of the seven bouts, all through knockouts.

More than 500 fans turned up at the Carnivore Restaurant in Nairobi to watch the matches.

Officials from the region discussed the revival of the East & Central Africa Professional Boxing Federation (ECAPBF).

ECAPBF was formed more than 10 years ago with Tanzanian Onesmo Ngowi as president, and Kenya’s Shabaan Ogolla as secretary general. Ogolla has since relocated to the US; Ngowi is still president.

Professional boxing has been in a slump in the region over the past 10 years, with the governing body grappling with lack of sponsorship. Sponsors withdrew their support owing to rogue promoters who had on several occasions stolen money meant for the boxers.

At the Skipper Promotion, Kenya’s Michael “Shaka” Nyawade knocked out Ibrahim Mostafa of Egypt in the second round to win the featherweight none-title bout. He will now aim for the super flyweight Commonwealth Africa title to be staged in Nairobi in February 2016.

Kenya’s World Boxing Federation intercontinental and Africa Boxing Union champion Daniel Wanyoyi knocked out George Dimoso from Tanzania in the fifth round of their eight-round super middleweight bout.  

Kenya heavyweight champion Morris Okolla knocked out Magid Ssali from Uganda in the heavyweight contest within two minutes of the first round. Gabriel Ochieng of Kenya knocked out Said Uwezo from Tanzania in the second round of their six-round bantamweight bout.

Bernard Adiye of Kenya knocked out Ugandan Musa Ntege in the third round of their six-round heavyweight bout.

Michael Odhiambo of Kenya was knocked out by Charles Mulindwa of Uganda in the second round in the lightweight category. 

Kenya Professional Boxing Commission (KPBC) secretary general Franklin Imbenzi said the success of the Skipper Promotion marked the rebirth of the game in Kenya and the region.

“We met some of the officials from Tanzania and Uganda and had a lengthy discussion on how to revive ECAPBF,” said Imbenzi, who said that they have introduced stringent measures to streamline promotions in the country.

Some of the regulations include having boxers sign contracts with promoters, and having the purse deposited with officials at the weigh-in on the eve of the competition.

Imbenzi said they will soon be staging the ECAPBF extravaganza in all the weight categories. “We plan joint title bouts across Nairobi, Kampala and Dar es Salaam.”
He said KPBC will soon meet with Ngowi to see if the programmes can be rolled out by February next year.

KPBC wants to also form partnerships with central and county governments to raise funds and tap talent.

“The government can chip in by providing air tickets and accommodation for invited boxers,” he added.

Uganda Professional Boxing Commission secretary general Mark Mugwanya said that, just like in Kenya, rogue promoters had negatively affected the sport but it was slowly getting back on its feet.

“We have tried to ensure that rules similar to those in Kenya, where promoters hand in the purse at the weigh-in, are strictly followed to protect boxers,” he said.

Mugwanya called for exchange programmes to be held in the region. “We need to have our referees and judges attend refresher courses,” he said.

Imbenzi said they have organised two promotions: One on December 12 in Nairobi, and another on December 26 in Mombasa.