Four men have been charged with the murder of Uganda rugby player Sydney Gongodyo Gyabi and remanded to prison as police continue searching for other suspects linked to the killing.
The suspects, Obed Mugwisa, 39, a boda boda rider; Elly Mondoni, 33, a delivery agent; Joseph Owino, 30, a private security guard; and Henry Kabugo, 21, also a boda boda rider, appeared before City Hall Court on Friday.
Grade One Magistrate Edgar Karakire informed them of the murder charge but did not allow them to enter pleas because the offence is capital in nature and can only be tried by the High Court.
“This court does not have jurisdiction to try your case because it is capital in nature. I will send you to prison until investigations are complete and you are committed to the High Court for trial,” Karakire said.
The four were remanded to Luzira Prison until June 23 when the case returns for mention.
Prosecutor Grace Akite told the court that investigations were still ongoing and that police were pursuing additional suspects.
“We have other suspects still on the run and police are searching for them. We pray for an adjournment to enable police to conclude investigations and arrest other suspects,” Akite said.
According to the charge sheet, the accused and others still at large allegedly murdered Gongodyo on June 5 along Upper Naguru East Road in Kampala with malice aforethought.
Gongodyo, 27, was a forward for Uganda’s national 15s rugby team, the Rugby Cranes, and played for Stanbic Black Pirates Rugby Club.
Police say preliminary investigations indicate he was attacked by a crowd after being falsely accused of stealing a woman’s handbag in Kampala’s Bukoto suburb.
Officers intervened and rushed him to Mulago National Referral Hospital, but he later succumbed to his injuries.
His death sent shockwaves through Uganda’s rugby community, prompting the postponement of Uganda Rugby Premiership semi-final matches.
Uganda Rugby Union President Godwin Kayangwe described the player’s death as a “monumental loss to the sport.”
Authorities say efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest all those involved in the attack.
The killing renewed concerns over mob action in Uganda, where suspected criminals are often attacked by crowds before investigations are conducted. Police have repeatedly warned that such incidents can target innocent people and are sometimes exploited by criminals seeking to settle personal scores or commit theft under the cover of public anger.