Changamwe boxing club fights idleness, crime among youth

A grassroots boxing club in Changamwe Sub-County has pulled dozens of young people away from drug dens and idleness, but its coach says the initiative risks collapse without urgent support from the county government and well-wishers.

Bomu Boxing Club, based at the Changamwe Social Hall, has become a refuge for youth who once spent their days in local hangouts chewing miraa (khat).

Coach Humphreys Omenda said the sport has given the young people discipline and purpose, but the club cannot sustain their basic needs once they leave the training ground.

“Some of them come to me and say, ‘Coach, we’ve trained, but we’re going to sleep hungry. Please, can you help us with something to hold onto at home?” Omenda said, describing how trainees often approach him hungry after sessions. With no steady income of his own, Omenda said he and the boxers contribute what little they have to feed those most in need.

“Each boy contributes something, 10 or 20 shillings,” he said, adding that the small contributions help a struggling boxer get a meal and the energy to return the next day.

The club has also struggled for years to secure training equipment. Omenda said letters written to the county chief officer of sports requesting support have gone unanswered for close to two years, leaving boxers to improvise with worn-out gear and skip competitions they cannot afford to travel to.

He appealed to well-wishers across Mombasa County and beyond to consider supporting the club, recalling a time when the sport enjoyed stronger institutional backing.

Omenda cited the era of former Kenya Amateur Boxing Association Chairman Marsden Madoka, when corporate teams such as Posta, Breweries, and Kenya Railways fielded active boxing squads.

“Today, only the Kenya Police, the Kenya Defence Forces, and Kenya Prisons maintain teams,” he said, even as boxing has produced some of Kenya’s proudest sporting moments, including the late John Wangila’s Olympic gold medal exploits.

Omenda urged county governments to revive support for sports as a tool against crime among idle youth, arguing that boxing instils discipline that keeps young people away from gangs.

“Boxing has its own discipline that is instilled in a person,” he said, noting that trained boxers rarely turn to crime because of the values the sport instills.

For 18-year-old boxer Vincent Ochieng, the sport has been transformative. He said he took up boxing at a young age and has since competed in league matches, junior tournaments, and the Kenya Open championships. He is currently using proceeds from the sport to support his education.

Ochieng appealed for donations of training equipment, including boxing bags and pads, saying the club’s growing membership has outpaced its limited resources.

He also encouraged more young people in Changamwe to join organised sports as an alternative to idle groups that expose them to crime.

“Boxing has helped me; it’s the one paying for my school needs right now,” Ochieng said, describing how the sport now funds his school expenses.

By Ramadhan Nassib