Kampala, Uganda – The Ugandan journalism fraternity is still in shock with the untimely death of Henry Mulindwa, a long-serving Supplements Editor at DailyMonitor, who passed away in the wee hours of Wednesday, July 9, 2025, after a protracted battle with kidney complications. He was 48.
Mulindwa, a calm and quietly brilliant editor known for steering high-impact supplements and commercial content at Monitor Publications, collapsed shortly after leaving work on Tuesday afternoon. He had returned to the newsroom just two days earlier, raising hopes among colleagues that he had recovered from the illness that had plagued him since 2023.
“We had just spoken a few hours before his passing,” said Wilson Businge, a colleague. “He left at about 3:30 pm. Then he called his wife later, struggling to breathe. It’s hard to process.”
Family and friends said he was rushed to a nearby clinic and later referred to Mulago National Referral Hospital, where he was pronounced dead early Wednesday morning.
Mulindwa’s death left the Monitor newsroom stunned, especially given his recent return and seemingly improved health. One colleague said, “The guy was in the office just yesterday. He looked in shape. We thought he was finally well again.”
A Quiet Force in the Newsroom
Mulindwa joined Monitor Publications after starting his career at The Sunrise, a weekly newspaper where he built a reputation as an arts and travel writer. His theatre reviews and concert coverage, such as his acclaimed review of Akon’s 2016 performance in Kampala, were widely respected for their nuance and depth.
At Daily Monitor, he was the editorial brain behind the Independence Day specials, election pullouts, and other commercially driven publications, balancing editorial finesse with business sensitivity. Despite working mostly behind the scenes, his contribution was foundational.
“Henry understood deadlines, pressure, and the business side of editorial work,” recalled former Managing Editor Margaret Vuchiri. “During the Independence supplements season, he would reply to deadline check-ins with calm wit and subtle reminders that his section generates revenue. He was a steady hand.”
Collapsed at Work Earlier This Year
In February 2025, Mulindwa collapsed while driving into Airtel House at the Wampewo Roundabout, where Monitor’s commercial and supplements teams are based.
Doctors advised him to take extended leave to recover, but he would later return about three weeks ago and again on Monday this week, reportedly eager to begin work on a July 30 special supplement.
Yet, fate had other plans.
“Deadline or dead,” a colleague mused bitterly, referring to the unforgiving pace of editorial work. “Sadly, it became his epitaph.”
Editorial Backbone, Soft-Spoken Spirit
Mulindwa was known for his introverted nature and precise editorial instincts. “He didn’t talk much, but when he did, it mattered,” said one colleague. “He let his work speak.”
In an often chaotic newsroom, Mulindwa stood out not with volume but with consistency, humility, and quiet strength. His legacy is etched not just in print but in the memories of all who worked alongside him.
He is survived by his wife and children. Burial arrangements are still underway, and tributes continue to pour in from across the Nation Media Group and Uganda’s wider journalism community.
A condolence message from Monitor Publications simply read: “We will miss you, Henry.”
And indeed, he will be missed, for his kindness, for his strength, and for the quiet brilliance that held so much together without ever asking to be noticed.
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