Rayton Okwiri: Celebrated boxer staring assault charges in court over Buruburu incident

Kenya’s highest profiled boxer Rayton Okwiri is facing possible prosecution for assaulting fellow revellers in Nairobi’s Eastlands.

According to those who know or have seen him out, the boxer is notorious for his violent behavior when he has had one, two, many and has been on record for turning on against his fellow revellers at entertainment joints, often threatening to demonstrate how good he is at his trade on them.

The incident in question relates to events in Buruburu some months back but the victims have resorted to pursue the matter after Okwiri, a prisons officer, reneged on his promise to cater for treatment expenses and compensation for lost items when he assaulted them.

“He pleaded with us and said he would want us to settle the matter away from the limelight but he has disappeared on me for months now. I don’t know about the others but he has not been picking calls and even stopped coming to that place,” one of the victims told Kurunzi.

He explained how Okwiri and his manager called him frantically upon knowing that “I had reported the matter to the police at Buruburu” after getting treated at three different hospitals.

“We met one evening and we agreed that my treatment was priority after which we can talk about other things but he has since not bothered. I guess it is not important to him because he injured me but I will seek for justice in court.”

The victim says he hurt his jaw, cheek bone and his chest and could not work for nearly a month. Doctors put him on total bed rest for two weeks.

The court papers are ready and there are dozens of witnesses ready to testify, some who spoke with Kurunzi and even showed this reporter video clips of the incident that took place just after midnight on 7 April.

“Okwiri alifanya kitu kibaya sana na hata sisi tulisema hatutakubali akae huku kama hizo ndio tabia zake (Okwiri did something very bad and we told him never to come here if that isn’t the way he behaves),” one of the eyewitnesses said, adding they had told him to apologize to the patrons by buying a goat and some drinks, something he has not done.

“So even for us we support the decision to take the matter forward because we were part of the agreement but now that he has not kept his word there is no other option,” said another patron.

Neither Okwiri nor his agent or manager have answered calls from Kurunzi on this matter.