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Three Kenyan boxers advance, five crash out of African event
Kenya’s Silas Onyango (in red) hammers Abel Abatiye Alemu of Ethiopia’s during their African Boxing Confederation Zone III Championships light flyweight first round bout at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani indoor arena on October 20, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Kenya won three bouts, and lost five in the first session of the opening day of the championships that have attracted 10 countries.
- Kenya won’t have a representative in lightweight after experienced Ethan Maina and Washington Wandera were bundled out.
Kenya’s continental light flyweight bronze medallist Abednego Kyalo and compatriot Silas Onyango are through to the quarter-finals of the African Boxing Confederation (AFBC) Zone III Championships after winning their opening bouts the Moi International Sports Centre Indoor Arena, on Monday.
Kenya’s newcomer, Wiseman Livondo, stunned experienced Oumarou Mouhamed from Cameroon to sail through to the semi-finals of the welterweight contest.
However, the 2022 Africa Zone III flyweight champion Shaffi Bakari and compatriot Emmanuel “Manu” Chondo were sent packing in the men’s bantamweight quarter-finals.
Kenya won three bouts, and lost five in the first session of the opening day of the championships that have attracted 10 countries.
Kyalo, 28, subjected Juma Athumani Juma from Tanzanian to some stylish boxing, sending him to the canvas in the third round before winning the light flyweight contest 4-1.
Kenya will have two boxers in the light flyweight semi-final after Onyango also disposed off Abel Abatiye Alemu from Ethiopia 4-1.
Kenya’s Abednego Kyalo (in red) tussles with Juma Athuman Juma of Tanzania during their African Boxing Confederation Zone III Championships light flyweight first round bout at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani indoor arena on October 20, 2025.
“I put Juma to the sword in the first round but he was determined to destabilise my game in the second round with rough play. It’s the knock-down in the third round that put away the duel,” said Kyalo, the 2018 Africa Military Games bronze medallist.
Onyango subjected Alemu to some good combinations that left the Ethiopian clinging on him forcing the referee to issue several warnings.
“I could have won the duel comprehensively was it not for my shoes that kept on sliding on the canvas with the sole coming out,” said Onyango of Kenya Police.
He said he was determined to win a medal on his second international appearance.
Bakari's stunning loss
Onyango’s maiden outing was at last year’s Africa Championships in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo where he reached the quarter-final.
Bakari, who won gold the flyweight title at the 2022 championships, saw his dream of upgrading to bantamweight go up in smoke when he stunningly lost to newcomer Iranezeza Aime from Rwanda 3-1.
Chondo was no match for Congolese Kolongo Bakora, who controlled the bout with nice jabs and hooks to win 4-1.
Kenya won’t have a representative in lightweight after experienced Ethan Maina and Washington Wandera were bundled out.
Uganda’s Jimmy Adriko took Maina through some boxing lessons before disposing him off 5-0 while Wandera bowed out to Ezra Pablo from Tanzania 4-1.
Africa Zone III bronze medallist Kenya’s Joseph Shigali lost to Uganda’s Edward Mukwaya in the other welterweight quarters fight.
The opening session, which was delayed for two hours, had 16 bouts. The second session, involving 16 fights, was held later in the evening.
