RIP: Gongodyo
Exactly a week later, key questions in the murder of rugby star Sydney Gongodyo remain unanswered.
Gongodyo died on Friday evening, hours after he encountered a mob that accused him of snatching a woman’s bag. He was on a boda boda on his way home when the incident occurred. The rider said his motorcycle had suddenly developed a mechanical problem between Bukoto and Ntinda. Gongodyo reportedly jumped off and crossed to the opposite side of the road, likely to pick another boda boda since he was expected at home to drop his sister at Nabisunsa.
Suddenly, a woman shouted “Thief!”, alleging that Gongodyo had grabbed her bag. Her alarm prompted boda boda riders, onlookers, and passersby to pounce on him. He later succumbed to his injuries at Mulago Hospital that evening.
However, the mystery of who this woman is remains.
Well-placed sources say the woman sells snacks—roasted groundnuts, maize, and others—at one of the boda boda stages near where the incident occurred. She has not been seen or heard from since, nor has she been formally identified. Among the 11 suspects in custody, only one is a woman. She reportedly participated in beating Gongodyo. Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala said she was not sure whether the woman in custody was Gongodyo’s accuser or simply part of the mob that ended his life.
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