Former Ugandan National Football Team Player Killed by Suspected Robbers

Calls are growing for strong measures against violent crime in Uganda after a prominent former national football team player was killed by suspected robbers in the capital city of Kampala.

According to Reuters, AFP, and the BBC on the 6th local time, David Owori, captain of Uganda's prestigious football club SC Villa, was attacked by assailants near his home in Kampala on the 4th.

The attackers beat him with blunt objects and stole his belongings. Owori was rushed to a hospital but passed away the following day.

A memorial mass was held at St. Peter's Cathedral in Kampala, attended by hundreds of mourners.

Owori, nicknamed "Colgate" after the toothpaste brand, played for the Ugandan national team in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. After spending two years playing in Europe, he returned to SC Villa in 2023 as a defender and midfielder, helping the club secure its 17th domestic league title the following year.

The BBC reported that social media has been flooded with tributes following his death, alongside rising demands for the government to take stronger action against violent crime.

SC Villa said in a statement, "We have been robbed of a dedicated and promising sports figure by a senseless crime. This must not go unpunished." The club urged authorities to thoroughly investigate and bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice.

The Ugandan Parliament held a moment of silence in honor of Owori during its plenary session the previous day, while the Deputy Speaker of Parliament and the Minister of Sports demanded an official explanation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding the circumstances of the incident and security measures.

This incident follows the death of a Ugandan national rugby player just weeks earlier, who was beaten to death by a mob in Kampala after being mistaken for a thief.

(Photo: Reuters, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.