Kenya's George 'The King' Onyango (right) engages Benjamin Mchunguzi of Tanzania in the East and Central Africa Boxing Federation super welterweight title at the Masshouse, Nairobi, on May 15, 2026.
Boxer George “The King” Onyango of Kenya has set his sights on the big stage after clinching the vacant East and Central Africa Professional Boxing Federation (ECAPBF) super welterweight title.
“I feel I am ripe to fight for an African or world title now. The challenge is welcome,” Onyango said on Friday after beating Tanzania’s Benjamin “The Stone” Mchunguzi at Mass House, Nairobi, in a series of fights dubbed “Nightmare in Nairobi.” The fights were organised by South Africa-based outfit Kalakoda Promotions.
Onyango was made to dig deep to outsmart the stubborn Tanzanian on his way to claiming the regional title.
Mchunguzi took the fight to home favourite Onyango, catching him with powerful blows, particularly in the final four rounds of the 10-round contest at Mass House on Ngong Road, Nairobi.
In the end, judges Eric Onyango, Martin Ndari and Francis Olando handed Onyango a unanimous points victory, the Kenyan boxer triumphing 98-92, 99-91 and 100-90 to position himself well for a possible stab at both the Commonwealth Boxing Council (CBC) and International Boxing Organisation (IBO) world titles.
Kenya's George Onyango (right) fights Benjamin Mchunguzi of Tanzania in the East and Central Africa Boxing Federation super welterweight in Nairobi on May 15, 2026.
“That (strong challenge) is what I wanted…I needed someone to challenge me to the end, and Mchunguzi proved a worthy opponent,” said the 28-year-old orthodox boxer, who stretched his record to 17 wins, three losses, and a draw (17-3-1).
“With the victory, I now know I will be highly ranked in Africa, and that will position me well for bigger and better fights,” Onyango added.
It is Onyango’s second title win. In 2029, he beat his compatriot Augustine Wafula to win the national lightweight title, and successfully defended the title against Fred Nyakesha in 2021. Onyango then vacated the category.
On Friday, he dominated in the first five rounds, keeping Mchunguzi at bay with his good reach, and unleashing good combinations and uppercuts that landed on Mchunguzi’s chin.
Mchunguzi’s overhead shots destabilised Onyango, who changed his approach to hitting body punches that the Tanzanian absorbed.
The Tanzanian himself unleashed some good combinations in the eighth round as Onyango struggled but stood firm, using his jab and reach to survive the round.
The last two rounds witnessed a breathtaking exchange, but Onyango, who was leading on the scorecards, avoided close-range assault.
In other bouts, Kenya’s Martin “Tiger” Achebi stretched his record to nine wins after he secured a unanimous decision victory against Uganda’s Mubarak "General Sensa" Sseguya in the welterweight contest.
Olympian Elizabeth Andiego knocked out Tanzania's Nelusigwe Mdemu in the second round of their scheduled four-round women’s super-middleweight contest.
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