He had just played in the Enterprise Cup Final in Nairobi. He came home to Kampala and was beaten to death by a crowd that accused him of snatching a handbag. Police have three people in custody.
A video circulating on social media shows the final moments of Sydney Gongodyo’s life — a 27-year-old Makerere University student and Uganda rugby international being subjected to mob justice on a street in Upper Naguru on the afternoon of June 5, 2026. He died at Mulago National Referral Hospital at 7:00 PM the same day.
Police at Kira Road Police Station are now holding three suspects in connection with his death: Ssebagala Noordin, Ayebazibwe Roden, and Namukose Juliet.
The case has been registered as murder by mob action.
According to preliminary police investigations, Gongodyo was accused by members of the public of snatching a woman’s handbag in Upper Naguru Community Village, Bukoto I Parish, Nakawa Division. A crowd descended on him at approximately 2:00 PM. By the time officers from Kira Road Police Station responded and rushed him to Mulago, he had sustained injuries too severe to survive.
He was pronounced dead five hours later.
The Uganda Rugby Union confirmed the death of Gongodyo, who was a player for Black Pirates and a representative of the Uganda national team in several regional and international competitions including the Rugby Africa Cup and Elgon Cup.
Just days before his death, Gongodyo had been in Nairobi as part of the Black Pirates squad that featured in the Enterprise Cup Final at RFUEA Grounds. The Ugandan champions finished runners-up after falling 25–12 to Kabras Sugar RFC.
He returned from Nairobi. He was dead within days.
Footage of the attack has been circulating widely on social media and WhatsApp groups since Thursday evening. The video — which Campusbee is not reproducing — shows Gongodyo being set upon by multiple people in broad daylight. It is disturbing viewing. It has also become the central piece of evidence in a police investigation that moved quickly, with three suspects identified and detained within 24 hours of the incident.
The fact that the attack was recorded and shared means investigators have visual documentation of who was involved. It also means that thousands of Ugandans have watched a man die at the hands of a crowd — and are now confronting the uncomfortable reality of what mob justice looks like when the camera is rolling.
He was 27 years old. He studied at Makerere University. He lived in Najjera, Kira Municipality, Wakiso District. He was a key figure for both Black Pirates and the Uganda national team — a versatile player whose career had taken him across the region representing his country.
His club, Black Pirates, confirmed his death and requested privacy for his family: “A sea robber to the bone has sailed his sail. No more sea billows for him. Till we meet again, Sydney. Further updates to follow. We shall appreciate the privacy and prayers for the family.”
He was a student. He was an athlete. He was someone’s son. He was accused of snatching a bag — an accusation that a court of law never got the chance to examine.
Mob justice is not new in Uganda. Markets, streets, and residential areas across the country have been scenes of crowd violence against people accused — sometimes falsely — of theft, traffic offences, or other crimes. The accused rarely get the chance to defend themselves. The crowd is judge, jury, and executioner simultaneously.
Police have appealed to anyone with additional information to report to the nearest police station.
