Ugandan student dies in Nairobi after rugby injury

• Hamza Muhaise, 26, died in Nairobi on August 13 after suffering cardiac arrest.

• The final-year Strathmore University student reportedly sustained an injury during a rugby match.

• The rugby communities in Uganda and Kenya have paid tribute to Muhaise.

• He will be buried in Kikuube District on August 15, 2026.

A 26-year-old Ugandan student at Strathmore University has died in Nairobi after suffering cardiac arrest following an injury reportedly sustained during a rugby match.

Hamza Muhaise, a final-year student, died at about 2:30 am on Thursday, August 13, 2026, according to a family announcement.

Muhaise was the firstborn son of CPA Haruna Musinguzi, the Director of Finance at the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).

“Hamza suffered cardiac arrest following an injury reportedly sustained during a rugby match,” the family said.

Details about the injury and events leading to the cardiac arrest remain unclear.

Muhaise's death has drawn condolences from the rugby fraternity in Uganda and Kenya, where he had been studying.

The Hippos Fans Club said the Kenya Rugby Union observed a minute of silence before its Round One matches in his honour.

Uganda Rugby was also expected to pay tribute to Muhaise before Uganda's Under-20 Test match against Zimbabwe at Muteesa II Stadium in Wankulukuku on Saturday.

“The rugby community is standing with you,” the supporters' group told the family.

Friends, teammates and rugby supporters have also shared tributes online, remembering Muhaise as a young player and student whose death has shocked communities in both countries.

Muhaise is due to be buried on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at the family's ancestral home of the late Mpeeka Sulaiman in Kakooge, Buhima, Kikuube District.

Relatives and friends have joined Musinguzi and his family in mourning his firstborn son.