NAIROBI, Kenya — Cedric Babu Ndilima, a Ugandan television host, tennis player and politician, died Thursday in Nairobi, his former employer, the Ugandan Broadcasting Corp., announced. He was 46.
Ndilima, the son of veteran politician Capt. Francis Babu, had been hospitalized at Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi after collapsing at a tennis tournament in Kigali, Rwanda, earlier this month.
A former Davis Cup player and president of the Uganda Tennis Association, Ndilima was also a passionate advocate for youth development and sports. He represented Uganda in international tennis competitions as both a player and captain.
In 2021, Ndilima ran for a parliamentary seat in Kampala under the National Resistance Movement ticket.
Ndilima had been battling a severe heart condition and was in need of a life-saving heart transplant in the UK. A public fundraising campaign had been launched to raise £300,000 (approximately $370,000) for the procedure, but the funds were not raised in time.
Ndilima is survived by his family, including his father, Capt. Francis Babu, and mother, Olive Zaitun Kigongo.
