Why Zarika is in Turkana County

Two weeks after successfully defending her World Boxing Council (WBC) super-bantam weight title, Fatuma Zarika has kicked off a grassroots campaign to popularise the sport among youth in the country, Turkana County being her first stop.

Zarika noted that there are many talented boxers across the country but the major challenge was lack of a platform to nurture and promote the talent as the major focus had been on pugilists in cities like Nairobi.

She was thrilled by the fact that her host in Turkana, Rukia Nasarite, is set to defend her World Boxing Organisation (WBO) lightweight title in Lodwar on October 20 when she takes on a boxer from Malawi.

"Anyone from any village across the country can be a world boxing champion in any category. County governments and various partners must invest in the sport to identify and nurture talents," said Zarika, who was accompanied by her manager Simon Kibe.

There was a major traffic snarl up in Lodwar as Zarika snaked through the town acknowledging greetings from her fans.