1983 Napunyi Oduori gives Kenyan professional boxing a flying start

PHOTO: Napunyi, then campaigning in Tokyo, made a successful professional debut on September 1, 1981, defeating Japan's Fusao Imai (left) on points in a six-round bout.

Did you know that ring general Napunyi Oduori was the first Kenyan professional boxer to win a title on home soil when bare-chested wrestling was introduced in Kenya in 1983?

Napunyi and Isaiah Ikhoni turned professional in Japan in 1981.

After showing his mettle by winning the Japanese featherweight title by beating the stubborn Spider Nemoto on points, Napunyi, a childhood friend with whom we used to box together in prisons as juniors in the early 70s, returned home in 1982 and told me he would not return to Japan. He took me by surprise with his abrupt decision.

Curious, I asked him why he wanted to fight from home when he had more opportunities in Japan but he stuck to his guns. He was not happy with the treatment in Japan. I had no choice but to team up with a close friend to make it happen. As a family man, he also had to put food on the table since he had already resigned from Kenyan prisons and life was becoming difficult for him.

It was a difficult task for me but I took it in stride. At that time, there was no professional boxing in Kenya. So we decided to introduce professional boxing and find an opponent for Napunyi from outside. I then wrote a telegram to Emmanuel Mlundwa in Tanzania from Uniafrique House where Mogg Yoon, a Korean taekwondo instructor, had given me an office to work.

I was also struggling after losing my job at the Weekly Review/Nairobi Times and started Sports Review magazine with my Weekly Review colleague Benson Oduke. The Uniafrique office was our meeting base with Napunyi.

In my telegram to Mlundwa in 1982, I told him that Napunyi had decided to fight from Kenya and that he should therefore find him an opponent.

Mlundwa, one of Tanzania's top boxers, had already introduced professional boxing to his country in 1982 under the aegis of the Boxing Union of Tanzania (BUT). He responded positively to my telegram and from there we took action.

At that time, Steve Muchoki, Kenya's first and only amateur boxing world champion, was also back home and had similar plans of introducing professional boxing to Kenya. Talk about great minds thinking alike.

We all teamed up, joined among others by Joe Akech, former international boxers David Attan, Billy Kiremi and US-based Boniface Kahoro, with a common goal: to introduce professional boxing to Kenya.

In January 1983, the Kenya Professional Boxing Commission (KPBC) was launched at the former Ainsworth Hotel in Westlands. The hotel's owner, Francis Mburu, was chosen, at Muchoki's initiative, as the KPBC's patron and Joe Akech as its chairman, Boniface Kahoro as secretary general and Steve Muchoki as treasurer. Among the prominent boxers who attended the colourful ceremony was former Ugandan world champion Ayub Kalule, who was based in Nairobi.

Muchoki played a crucial role in introducing professional boxing to Kenya with his vast knowledge of the industry, having turned professional in 1979 in Denmark under influential promoter Mogens Palle. He brought in Mburu and Akech among others. The launch of the KPBC was the culmination of a series of brainstorming meetings held in boss Mburu’s office during which Muchoki made it clear that the introduction of professional boxing must be preceded by the establishment of a regulatory body.

With the launch and registration of the regulatory body KPBC, the stage was set for Kenya's first professional boxing card.

On 2 July 1983 at KICC, Napunyi won the East African super bantamweight title by knocking out Tanzanian Onesmo Ngowi in the third round in Kenya's first professional boxing card after independence.

Napunyi thus became the first professional boxer from Kenya to win a title on Kenyan soil. What a memorable day in Kenyan boxing history. We felt on top of the world after finally accomplishing our mission. I covered this historic day for the Kanu-owned Kenya Times newspaper and my friend Stephen Ongaro for the Daily Nation.

At the time, without a promoter, KPBC financed the first professional boxing show.

Mukkoki, George “Mosquito” Findo and the late Juma Kutondo all participated in support bouts against Tanzanian opponents. Findo and Kutondo made their professional boxing debuts on the 1983 card.

In October 1983, Muchoki, promoted by DS Njoroge, beat Zambian Flywell Botha on points to win the African flyweight title at KICC. DS staged another African title in 1984 at KICC in which Napunyi beat tough Nigerian southpaw Obele “Rastaman” Anazor on points to win the African super-bantamweight title in front of his father Mzee Joseph Oduori, mother Paulina and some of his siblings Sylvester Odhiambo, Philip, Anyash, Chauh and Knight.

DS Njoroge, the first promoter to be affiliated with KPBC, promoted the show spiced with its throbbing beats. He was also a music promoter.

Njoroge paved the way for other promoters to join the fray, including Chris Kamuyu who used professional boxing to venture into politics, Davlin Promotions owned by David Attan and his wife Linda, Level Two Promotions, Korean Kapsoo Kim and current KPBC chairman Reuben Ndolo who made a huge impact and was instrumental in bringing some of Kenya's top boxers to South Africa, including George "Kidi" Adipo, Moses Kinyua and David Kiilu.

Among the big fights promoted by Ndolo was Napunyi's Commonwealth featherweight title fight against Ghana's Oblittey Commey at City Hall. The elegant Napunyi, a lively counter-striker, beat Commey on points to become the second Kenyan professional boxer to win a Commonwealth title after Muchoki.

John Nene
CEO NENEZ MEDIA SERVICES