Bye bye baba! Charles Ouda’s mother pays heartfelt tribute
Yunia Adhiambo Ouda, the mother of the late actor Charles Ouda, has offered a heartfelt tribute to her son as he is laid to rest today.
In her tribute, Charli’s mother wrote a letter to him, describing him as an admirable man.
“I said God’s decisions are above ours its still hard to believe that he has taken you away from me “baba”.
I’m so proud to have watched you grow into a great lively lovable man. I’m grateful for all the memories, being my long-time barber, and random calls when you were at work asking, ‘Mum are you okay? Mum what do you want me to buy for you?’,” Yunia said.
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“I will dearly miss the spicy chicken that you made for me. No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you Charli. Charli rest well. I love you so much and you will always be in my heart. Bye-bye baba!!!” read her tribute letter.
Charli was born on July 3, 1985, marking the beginning of a journey towards greatness for the Ouda family, though they were unaware of it at the time.
Contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t named after his late father, Charles Akoth, but rather after his grandfather, the late Reverend Charles Suba.
Seen as the baby boy by his older brothers and the target of jokes by his older sister and her partner in crime, Charli soon revealed his penchant for “drama and self-diagnosed concussions” hinting at the path he would later pursue.
Growing up, Charli honed his acting skills by cleverly manipulating his siblings to get his way with their parents.
His educational journey began in 1987 at Riverside Farm Nursery School, followed by enrollment at St Mary’s School in Standard 1, where he continued the Ouda legacy.
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Far from uneventful, his 12 years at St Mary’s were filled with adventure and growth, shaping a lifetime of experiences.
Despite being chubby in his youth, Charli emulated his older brother by participating in various sports, including rugby, swimming, and athletics.
His physical transformation saw him shed the role of the family jokester and sparked assumptions about a future in sports.
However, his true passion lay in acting, fostered by the vibrant artistic environment at St Mary’s, including inter-house drama competitions, annual musicals, and the IB Theatre program.
Here, Charli forged lasting friendships across ages and backgrounds, solidifying his dedication to the performing arts.