The Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK) president Anthony Otieno Ombok popularly known as ‘Jamal’ is a man unfit to hold public office. Jamal, who was re-elected to lead the boxing federation for another four year term has established himself as a lead in illicit business and intimidation of opponents.
Federations being public entities demand that leaders are people of integrity , a test that Jamal fails flat on his face. Those in charge must meet the provisions of chapter six of the constitution of Kenya on integrity. For a man who is heavily laden with a tainted past, Jamal fails the integrity test to run public office, particularly owing to the history of corruption and illicit trade that lurks heavily on his shoulder.
When Jamal was elected president of the Boxing Federation of Kenya in 2019, intimidation claims marred the elections, setting the pace for unprecedented rise in the hardline monopoly.
In a strange twist of events, Jamal won the presidency after his sole rival voted for him. Jamal’ s sole competitor in 2019, the then Siaya county chairman Ramjus Oketch who attended as a delegate lost 41-0 to mean that he voted for his rival in a vote that had no spoilt vote.
To add salt to injury Oketch did not receive a sympathy vote from his Siaya backyard to be handed a resounding defeat in the elections. It was reported that Jamal used his deep pockets to buy out opponents and use intimidation on them to suppress opposition.
For starters, in 2024, the High Court overturned the erroneous acquittal of Jamal and his co-accused former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko on a 20 million graft case where the two had been charged with eight counts, including conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, conflict of interest, money laundering, and acquisition of proceeds of crime.
The 20 million case was just a drop in the ocean as the two were faced with graft cases amounting to 537 million in the Nairobi county government which led to the impeachment of the former governor in 2020, just a year after Jamal had rised to head the boxing federation.
The two will now face a retrial after the High Court overturned their acquittal in HCACEC EO 16/2022, finding that the trial court erred in law by relying on the original charge sheet to acquit them after the same had been amended.
The Director of Public Prosecutions acted on EACC’s recommendations and instituted Milimani Anti-Corruption Case of the Republic against Sonko and Jamal on January 27th, 2020. After that, the charge sheet was amended on September 7th, 2020, and fresh charges were read against the accused on September 14th, 2022.
They were charged with various offenses, including money laundering, conflict of interest, fraudulent acquisition of public property, and conspiracy to commit an offense of corruption, with the Prosecution calling 19 witnesses. However, on December 21st, 2022, the trial court, relying on the original charge sheet instead of the amended one, acquitted the accused persons for lack of compelling evidence that would warrant putting them to their defense.
The ODPP, dissatisfied with the ruling, appealed the decision. The DPP contended, among others, that the trial Magistrate grossly misdirected himself by relying on an old charge sheet in making a finding that the charges were defective.
Jamal has further had a tainted past where he is alleged to have been involved in criminal enterprises among them the production of counterfeit alcoholic drinks which many believe is the source of his wealth.
Jamal, is alleged to have mastered the art of manufacturing counterfeit alcoholic drinks labelled with top brands market names and selling it to unsuspecting entertainment joints across the country and a past of criminal activities including violent crime in Nairobi.
He is said to have began by criminal activities including street muggings and selling illicit alcohol to crews in the public service vehicles before graduating to more serious organised crime. Jamal had his godowns headquartered along Kangundo road where he manufactured the counterfeit alcoholic drinks before he shifted his base to an upmarket area after making good money.
With no credible history of any professional and academic qualifications and a tainted criminal track record. He operates autonomously with fake documents.
Jamal later joined the matatu industry where he has been running a fleet of notorious matatus in Nairobi. His sacco River of God is said to have a deep criminal meaning known to only few around his inner circle. It is widely believed that he ventured into the Matatu business and the boxing federation of Kenya leadership as a way to clean his dirty money obtained from corrupt deals and the illicit alcohol sale but not for the development of the sport in Kenya.