The body of former national tennis champion and sports administrator Cedric Babu Ndilima has returned to Uganda following his death in Nairobi last Saturday.
His remains arrived at Entebbe International Airport on Tuesday evening ahead of his burial scheduled for Saturday, June 7, in Kamengo, Mpigi District.
The casket was received by his father, former Kampala Central MP Captain Francis Babu, close family members, and associates from the sports community.
From Entebbe, the body was transported to Uganda Funeral Services in Bukoto, where it now lies as preparations for his final journey continue.
On Wednesday, the body will be taken to Lugogo Indoor Stadium for public viewing and tributes from the sports fraternity.
A vigil and memorial mass will follow at his family home in Kololo. A requiem mass is set for Friday, June 6, at Rubaga Cathedral before the final journey to Kamengo, where Cedric Babu will be laid to rest on Saturday, June 7.
Babu died at Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, where he had been admitted with severe heart complications.
He had collapsed earlier this month in Kigali, Rwanda, during a tennis event where he was supporting his son, Cillian Asante Ndilima.
Doctors had recommended an urgent heart transplant abroad, and a fundraising drive was launched to raise over Shs1.5 billion.
Sadly, he passed away before the required treatment could be carried out.
A respected figure in Ugandan tennis, Cedric Babu was a former national champion and represented Uganda in the Davis Cup.
He later captained the national team and served as President of the Uganda Tennis Association (UTA) from 2012 to 2022, a period marked by grassroots revival and international partnerships.
Outside sport, Babu was a prominent media personality and entrepreneur, having founded Kinetic Management Group, one of Uganda’s early talent and entertainment agencies.
He also ran for Kampala Central MP in the 2021 general elections and later served as Vice Chairman for Kampala in the Patriotic League of Uganda.