As we usher in the year 2025, we need to pose a bit and remember those sports personalities we sadly lost last year. Here are some of the top sports figures who passed away in 2024.
BAKER KASIGWA
On December 22, the country was saddened by the death of Baker Kasigwa, the only surviving member of the barefooted Uganda national team that toured England in 1956. Kasigwa, a star player of the 1950s and 1960s, also featured in the Uganda side which played in the 1962 Africa Cup of Nations in Ethiopia.
Besides the national side, he also played for clubs such as Bitumastic, Pepsi and Nsambya, among others. He later coached top-tier sides Uganda Commercial Bank and Lint Marketing Board.
ERA MUGISA BISEREKO
In his long career, Mugisa served several key sports administration roles, right from his days as Makerere University principal sports tutor, Fufa chairman, Uganda Athletics Federation general secretary as well as a co-founder of the University Games, among others. He died on December 1.
GEORGE KAKAIRE
He featured in the Uganda Cranes side that played in the 1962 Africa Cup of Nations Cup in Ethiopia and served as general secretary National Council of Sports for four years (1977- 1980). He also coached Nile FC in the early 1980s and served as chairman of Nakivubo stadium board of trustees (1995-1999). He died July 14.
SUZAN KABEJA KAFUMBE
The co-founder and star player of the once-mighty Lady Bucks basketball club was a national team star for many years. She also served as treasurer of Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations (Fuba). She passed on July 2.
FRED KAJOBA
He was a custodian for the second tier side for Pepsi FC before moving to Coffee FC in 1988 and also captained Fumbe clan team. He also played for and coached Simba FC before handling Vipers SC. Kajoba also served as Uganda Cranes goalkeeping coach for more than a decade before he crossed to Tanzania’s Ihefu FC. He passed on May 13 in Tanzania.
REBECCA CHEPTEGEI
She represented Uganda in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, where she finished in 44th position in the women’s marathon. She set the Ugandan national record for the marathon with a time of 2:22:47 in 2022. She died on September 5 in Kenya following domestic violence.
ANGELO ODONG
He was a top footballer for both Nsambya FC and Express FC in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He then served as Express FC team manager and later the club’s technical committee chairman (1997-1999). He passed on December 13.
AHMED SENYANGE
The flying winger was a gem for KCCA FC (1989-1993) before joining Arua Young FC, where he ended his career in 1995. He relocated to the United States before moving to the Netherlands and died in Amsterdam on December 13.
HAJJI ISHAKA KAMOGA
Renowned for the decades he spent as head teacher of Kololo High School, Kamoga’s passion for sports turned the school into a boxing powerhouse. He was later elected as president of the Uganda Boxing Federation (2004-2006). He died on October 7.
DAVID KALIBBALA
The explosive defender played for Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB) and Nsenene clan in the 1980s and early 1990s. He later turned to coaching and became general secretary of the Bika Football Committee. He died on October 21.
SEWAVA KIVUMBI
He was a popular rally navigator in the 1970s and 1980s and, at the same time, an ardent Express FC supporter who served on the club’s executive committees for many years. He died May 14.
DICKSON SEGAWA NABUGWAMU
He was a goalkeeper for Bell FC, Posta FC, as well as the Nkima clan team. He was also the young brother to former Uganda Cranes goalkeeping coach Fred Lukwago, popularly known as Giringi. He passed on August 16.
Other honourable mentions include former Fufa referee Gerald Dunga, former Police FC player Brian Mubiru and Al-Hajji Abdul Nsereko, a former UBC sports commentator.