When Amin ‘wrestled’ Kenyan woman in a curtain-raiser fight

Uganda’s former president Idi Amin was a renowned sportsman. He was the East and Central African heavyweight boxing champion in the 1950s during his time as an officer in the Kings African Rifles (KARs). He was mostly stationed in military barracks in Kenya.

In January 1971, Amin was the army commander when soldiers ousted former president Milton Obote and made him president, an office he held from January 1971 to April 1979 when he was overthrown by the combined forces of Ugandan rebels and soldiers of the Tanzania People’s Defence Force.

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Besides being remembered for the reign of terror during his eight-year rule, Amin is also remembered as a sports philanthropist and excellent boxer.

Amin was a towering figure and always joked that tackling him in a rugby game was like trying to stop a Russian-made Anti-Personnel Carrier (APC) that was rolling down the hill. 

Woman ‘wrestles’ Amin in Kampala

On the evening of April 30, 1978, there was a fight between two Ugandan wrestlers, ‘Sunlight Okiror’ and ‘Power-in-Power’ at Lugogo sports stadium in Kampala.

But before the main event, there happened to be impromptu curtain raiser. Amin, who had earned himself the title of ‘The Sporting President,’ could not miss an opportunity to entertain Ugandans.

Moments before the two wrestlers came on stage, Amin’s protocol officer, Capt Ondoga, though not the emcee of the day, took the microphone and stepped in the ring. 

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The Voice of Uganda newspaper of May 2, 1978, quotes Capt Ondoga as having said: “Here in Uganda, women are recognised in our society as equal to men and it is for this reason that His Excellency the President of Uganda has put a challenge to any lady who would like to wrestle with him to come forward.”

The newspaper reports that there was a thunderous applause from the anxious audience that was waiting to see the woman that would step forward to challenge Amin. 

Omwona steps forward

As everyone was craning their necks, looking from side to side, a voluminous lady seated at the high table, clad in an oversize Kitenge dress, stood up. 

At first, the audience thought she wanted to make a comment. But alas! She straightened her Kitenge and moved towards the ring, amid a rapturous cheer from the crowd, including Amin himself.
From the pictures of the event, she looked to be in her 30s. She was Juddy Omwona, a fearless Kenyan woman.

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Omwona was chairperson of the East and Central African Netball Confederation. She had come to preside over the 1978-79 East and Central African Netball Championship held in Kampala, Uganda. 

The fight

Into the ring stepped Omwona, who was almost as towering as Amin. And as the referee, Kanyoro, shown the challenger her corner, the crowd went wild.

When the cheers died down, Amin, who was also sitting at the high table, stood up amid deafening cheers and walked into the ring.

Voice of Uganda reports that the crowd cheered as the referee gave the dual instructions. The rule was clear; Amin and Omwona had to wrestle one another to the ground. Both wrestlers accepted the instruction.
In seconds, Amin and Omwona got hold of each other firmly around their backs. The fight started. 

The crowd cheered as much as they could as Amin and Omwona engaged in a wrestling gimmick. And after about five minutes, referee Kanyoro stopped the fight. 

In the middle of the ring, the referee stood between Amin and Omwona and announced that the fight had ended in a draw as the crowd cheered the unusual wrestling game between a man and a woman.
And such was a stunt the president enjoyed exhibiting, which sometimes overshadowed his other side, a president who was presiding over a reign of terror.