In an emotional interview with The Investigator, Nancy Kaki, the mother of slain rugby star Sydney Gondodyo, speaks publicly about her son’s remarkable life, his dreams, and the devastating events that led to his death.
“Sydney was my womb opener, my protector and my best friend” I am Nancy Kaki, the mother of the late Sydney Gondodyo. At home, we affectionately called him Sidy or Sido. He was my firstborn, my womb opener, and the eldest of my five children. No one can ever replace him.
Sydney was born on September 20, 1998, just a year after I completed my first undergraduate degree at Makerere University. He was a planned child—the first blessing in our marriage—and because he was our firstborn, he grew up surrounded by the love and attention of both his parents.
From childhood, Sydney was lively, curious and full of energy. He could also be stubborn, but he possessed an exceptional mind. He was naturally gifted—a genius in every sense of the word.
Academically, he excelled throughout his education. He studied at Namiryango College, Ndejje Senior Secondary School, and later King’s College Budo before joining Makerere University, where he pursued a Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering.
Beyond being brilliant, Sydney became my protector and my closest confidant. We planned so much together. We dreamed about the future as a family. Today, all those dreams have been cut short.
A Gentle Soul Who United Everyone
Sydney brought joy wherever he went. He was obedient, respectful and deeply compassionate.
His relationship with his siblings was extraordinary, and he related just as warmly with relatives, neighbours and friends. As his mother, I can honestly say I never heard him quarrel or fight with anyone throughout his life. Whenever disagreements arose, he either laughed them off, calmly explained his point or simply chose silence. He was a peacemaker.
He had an incredibly generous heart. Whenever he had something, he shared it. Whenever someone needed help and it was within his ability, he never hesitated.
The Young Entrepreneur Who Dreamed of Owning Restaurants
Sydney was blessed with many practical skills. He loved cooking so much that we nicknamed him “Chef.” While still a student, he bought an oven and started making pizzas and burgers for sale. He dreamed of one day owning restaurants and building a successful food business.
Sadly, that dream will never be realised. He could prepare almost anything—pilau, chapati, every kind of rice, beef stew, chicken and many other dishes. Besides cooking, Sydney repaired computers, developed software applications and offered IT services to organisations as a way of earning extra income.
Whenever he was home, he never sat idle. If anyone in the neighbourhood needed help fixing a computer or solving an IT problem, Sydney would gladly assist. He also loved movies. He watched everything—from educational documentaries to action films—and never missed a rugby match.
Until his death, he served as an ambassador for Black Technologies, another role that reflected his passion for innovation and technology.
Rugby Was His Second Family
If there was one thing Sydney loved almost as much as his family, it was rugby.
The rugby fraternity became his second family. His coach, Marvin Odongo, was someone he spoke about often. Sydney’s love for rugby began while he was at Namiryango College, but it truly flourished at King’s College Budo, where his talent became evident.
I still remember when King’s College Budo defeated Namiryango College at Kyadondo. Then Speaker Rebecca Kadaga personally presented medals to the winning team. Sydney was so proud of that achievement. It inspired him to pursue rugby even more seriously. As time went on, I watched him sacrifice portions of his academic life for the sport he loved.
The memories of his rugby journey are endless, and many of those stories have already been shared by teammates, coaches and friends.
He Was Not Married
There has been misinformation regarding Sydney’s personal life. Sydney was not married, nor was he living with anyone. He lived alone, something that can easily be confirmed by his neighbours and caretakers. He had a girlfriend, and together they had a child. In total, Sydney leaves behind two children. One of them lives with me.
The Darkest Moment of My Life
Sydney’s death remains the darkest chapter of my life. Even now, more than two months later, I sometimes convince myself that he has simply travelled somewhere and will eventually return home. My heart still asks the same questions every day. Why? How? Who could have had such hatred for a humble, peaceful young man that the only answer was to kill him?
Our Final Conversation
The final week of Sydney’s life remains painfully clear in my mind. On Saturday, May 30, I travelled from Mbale to Kampala while Sydney travelled to Nairobi for a rugby tournament.
We spoke before he left. Later that day, we watched him play on television. He had an outstanding performance and was named one of the Men of the Match, alongside a Kenyan player.
We celebrated his achievement. Little did we know we were celebrating the final match of his life. On Monday, we tried calling him after he returned from Nairobi, but he did not answer. On Tuesday afternoon, he finally called. He explained that he had travelled back late on Monday night and had slept throughout Tuesday morning because he was exhausted.
That Tuesday evening—June 2—he came home. It was the last time we would ever see him alive. He arrived at around 4:30 p.m. and stayed until shortly before midnight. As always, we talked at length. We reviewed his performance in Nairobi, discussed the match and laughed together, just as we always did after every game.
Before leaving, we agreed that he would return on Thursday morning to take his younger sister, Precious, to school. When I reminded him, he replied: “Mummy, from Najeera to Ntinda we’ll get there too late. I’m already late for training. Let me go for training today. I’ll come tomorrow morning and take Precious to school. Bye-bye, Mummy. See you in the morning.” Those became the last words my son ever spoke to me.
The Call That Changed Everything
Friday, June 5, 2026, was supposed to be another ordinary day.
Ironically, promotional banners for the upcoming Pirates versus Heathens rugby match featured Sydney’s photograph. He was expected to be the face of that game.
That morning, Precious and I prepared for school, waiting for him to arrive. He never came.We kept calling him from midday until about 4:30 p.m., but there was no response.
Eventually, I stopped waiting and took my daughter to school myself. Later that evening, after leaving school, I met my sister at her salon in Kampala. Moments after arriving, the caretaker from Sydney’s apartment called.
He asked me a strange question. “Mum, where are you?” Immediately, I called Sydney’s phone again. This time, a stranger answered.
He simply said: “Sydney has been involved in an accident.” My sister Christine and I rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital. Other family members joined us there.
We searched frantically through the casualty ward, asking every health worker we could find.No one could give us answers.
Finally, my brother Martin and my sister Vera decided to check the mortuary.
The mortuary was locked.
An attendant confirmed they had received someone matching Sydney’s description but asked them to return the following day.
When Martin and Vera came back and quietly broke the news, my world collapsed.
I never even managed to walk to the mortuary that night.I remained standing outside Mulago, surrounded by grieving relatives and friends, unable to believe what I had just been told.
I did not see my son’s body until the following day, when it was brought out of the mortuary before being transferred to the funeral home.
Even then, the pain was unbearable.
I eventually left the hospital and went to church because I could no longer carry the weight of what had happened.
To this day, I still wait for my son to walk through the door.But deep inside, I know he never will.
Author Profile
- Charles Gazza Kodili is a seasoned journalist with over 20 years of experience in the media industry. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication. He’s currently the Chief Editor at the Investigator.
Charles can also be reached via; Tel: +256 774 108978
Email: [email protected]
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Continue resting in peace Sydney