KAMPALA.Detectives have arrested Obed Mugwisa,who is believed to be the prime suspect in the gruesome attack on Ugandan rugby star Sydney Gongodyo .
Mugwisa, who is alleged to be the man seen in a video footage circulating on social media striking Gongodyo with a wooden plank during the violent incident, was reportedly picked up on Tuesday evening, around the same time Gongodyo’s body was being laid to rest in Mbale at about 6pm.
Mugwisa is a boda boda cyclist who operates from Frobel Road, near the Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple in Ntinda’s Nsimbiziwoome Zone.
He had not managed to run too far from his operational base as Rachael Kawala, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, said he was arrested from Nsimbiziwoome Zone.
However, police have not yet issued an official statement confirming Mugwisa’s arrest or detailing the circumstances under which he was taken into custody.
Gongodyo, a 27-year-old forward for the Uganda Rugby Cranes and player for Stanbic Black Pirates, died after a brutal attack on Friday, June 5, 2026, in the Kampala suburb of Bukoto. He was rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
The killing has triggered nationwide outrage, with renewed calls for tougher action against violent crime and mob justice incidents in the city.
Investigations so far indicate that Gongodyo was attacked by a crowd after being wrongly or prematurely accused of involvement in a handbag snatching incident.
Police had earlier confirmed that several suspects were arrested in connection with the case and are currently being held at Kira Road Police Station as inquiries continue.
The arrested suspects include Noordin Ssebagala, Roden Ayebazibwe, Juliet Namukose, Elly Mondoni, Herbert Twinomujuni, Perigrino Katsigazi, Darious Tayebwa, and Hannington Tugume.
According to Kawala, the arrests were part of ongoing efforts to reconstruct the events leading to Gongodyo’s death.