Locals and leaders in Bugisu sub-region have asked government to organise a public trial of suspects accused of murdering Rugby Cranes and Stanbic Black Pirates forward Sydney Gongodyo.
Gongodyo, 27, was allegedly killed by a mob in Kampala last Friday and was laid to rest at his ancestral home in Buweri Town Council, Sironko District on Tuesday.
Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the 2026 FDC presidential candidate and Secretary General of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), said Bugisu wants justice through a fair and transparent process.
‘We want to see justice done but this should also wake up the government. Instead of putting money to fight opposition, they should invest more resources in fighting criminality in the country,’ he said during the burial.
Gongodyo was hailed as a disciplined sportsman by the rugby community, arts industry and political leaders. He was a key member of the Pirates squad that won the 2025 Premiership title, a Makerere University student, and son of Mbale-based lawyer Mr James Gyabi.
Preliminary findings indicate he was subjected to mob action after being accused of snatching a handbag, though police maintain investigations are ongoing. Suspects in custody include Roden Ayebazibwe, Noordin Ssebagala and Juliet Namukose.
Umukuuka of Bugisu Cultural Institution, Mr Jude Mike Mudoma, decried the brutal killing and called for government action.
‘This presents a painful but profound lesson for our entire nation that mob justice is a blind, lawless monster that robs society of its brightest futures based entirely on unverified assumptions,’ he said.
Umukuuka Mudoma said it was unfortunate Gongodyo was killed despite pleading innocence. ‘Mobs stifle innocence and are deaf to the truth because our son is seen pleading his innocence, but the mob appears to deliberately not listen to reason or look for evidence,’ he said.
He urged police and judiciary to handle the case expeditiously. ‘The arrest of the suspects must lead to swift, public convictions to serve as a stark warning across the country that mob participation results in severe consequences,’ Mr Mudoma said.
Mr Steven Masiga, researcher and spokesperson for Bugisu Cultural Institution, said they will not relent until justice is done.
‘We demand a full open and public trial and it should take place in the very place that the deceased was killed from,’ he said.
A public trial is a constitutional guarantee ensuring criminal proceedings are conducted in open court for transparency and fairness. It allows the community to observe justice and protects the accused from secret trials.
Mr Gyabi eulogised his son as hardworking, disciplined and a lover of rugby.
‘I have lost my son and I had a lot of hope in him. Although he had a big name and was a huge phenomenon in the Rugby game, he remained a son to me, to my family and clan,’ he said.
He added, ‘He was a very obedient boy except when it came to the game of Rugby because I didn’t support his decision to play Rugby but in his death I have realized I was wrong and he was right. I will miss him.’
The deceased is survived by a wife and two children.