Well-known Ugandan TV host and sports leader Cedric Babu Ndilima is in critical condition in a Nairobi hospital after being diagnosed with severe heart failure. Medical professionals have advised that a heart transplant is his only viable option for survival, prompting an urgent appeal to raise funds for treatment abroad.
The 48-year-old was admitted to the intensive care unit at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, earlier this month, following a medical emergency while attending a tennis tournament in Kigali, Rwanda. He had been there supporting his son, Cillian Asante Ndilima, a rising tennis talent.
Mr Babu’s health has deteriorated rapidly since his initial collapse. Doctors now recommend an emergency medical evacuation to the United Kingdom for a transplant and further specialised care.
In response, his family and close supporters have launched a GoFundMe campaign, aiming to raise £300,000 (UGX 1.5B) to cover the costs of the procedure, associated medical expenses, and transport.
In a public statement shared online, his loved ones wrote:
“We’re writing this with urgency and hope in our hearts. Cedric — our father, brother, son, uncle, friend, and bright light — is currently in the ICU, courageously fighting for his life after being diagnosed with severe heart failure.”
“This is more than a medical emergency — it’s a fight for Cedric’s future. Every donation, big or small, brings us one step closer to giving him the second chance he desperately needs.”
Though an earlier transfer to India was reportedly considered, efforts are now focused on relocating him to London for what his doctors believe is his best chance of survival.
Cedric Babu is widely recognised in Uganda for his work in television, notably as host of the “Cedric Live Show” on UBC, and as producer of the critically acclaimed drama Beneath the Lies. He also has deep ties to Ugandan sport, having served as President of the Uganda Tennis Association and previously representing the country as a Davis Cup player.
In 2021, he contested the Kampala Central parliamentary seat on the ruling NRM party ticket but was unsuccessful. On his social media, he lists himself as Vice Chairman of the Patriotic League of Uganda Kampala, Founder of K-Tic Sports Africa, and President Emeritus of the Uganda Tennis Association.
Mr Babu hails from a prominent Ugandan family. His father, Capt. Francis Babu, served as State Minister for Housing, while his mother, Mrs. Olive Zaituni Kigongo, has led the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UNCCI) for over two decades. She is also the founder of Amagara Skincare Products.
