Boxing: Hard-hitting Denzel Onyango to headline Umeme Night

Organized by Uganda’s 12 Sports Rounds Promotions, the event aims to promote regional boxing talent.

Headlining the night is Kenya’s heavyweight prospect Denzel Onyango, returning to the ring after his debut at the World Boxing Council (WBC) Grand Prix in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he faced Bosnia’s Alija Mesic.

Onyango, currently training at Pal Pal Gym in Muthurwa, is expected to bring power and passion to the ring in front of a home crowd.

Ugandan-American promoter Stephan Ssembuya is behind the event, with 12 Sports Rounds Promotions legal officer Joshua Sewankambo assuring fans of an exciting night.

“These bouts may not carry titles, but they mark the beginning of something great,” Sewankambo said during the press briefing in Nairobi.

Uganda’s Henry Kasujja, ranked fourth in Africa and 81st globally by the WBA, will battle Malawi’s Charles Misanjo in a 10-round welterweight bout.

Confident and fired up, Kasujja said, “If he comes boxing, I’ll fight him. If he comes fighting, I’ll box him. He’ll have nowhere to hide.”

Nineteen-year-old Owen Kibira, an Africa Games bronze medalist, will make his professional debut in a six-round super welterweight fight. "I’m not just an opponent—I’m a matrix. The crowd will love it," he promised.

Another fierce match-up features Uganda’s Abdul ‘Break Break’ Jengo versus Tanzania’s Hamisi Mzee in an eight-round light heavyweight contest. “I’m going to break him into pieces,” Jengo declared.

The Kenya Professional Boxing Commission (KPBC) will sanction the event, with its president, Reuben Ndolo, welcoming the Ugandan promoters warmly. “We embrace this new partnership with open arms,” he said.

With regional rivalry, youthful energy, and heavyweight power on display, 'Umeme Night' is set to light up Charter Hall and reignite boxing fever in East Africa.