But there was rarely much doubt about a contest that Indongo won 120-108, 118-110 and 116-112 on the judges' scorecards to extend his unbeaten record as a professional to 22 victories.
"I feel very proud," Indongo told Sky Sports. "My home crowd are watching. It's for the whole of Africa. This is so great. "I am very proud for opening my doors and now the world can see me." Burns, Scotland's first three-weight world champion, had no complaints about the result, saying: "The better man won, no excuses.