Journalist Edward Muhumuza dies in expressway car crash

Joseph Kizza
Senior Producer - Digital Content @New Vision
Mar 25, 2023

Tributes continued to flow for Ugandan journalist Edward Muhumuza, who was killed in a car crash on the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway on Saturday.

He was 34.

Muhumuza previously worked at Vision Group's Urban TV and was a news reporter for Nation Media Group's NTV Uganda at the time of his death.

"NTV is saddened to announce the passing of our journalist, Edward Muhumuza, in a car accident. Our hearts go out to his family and friends. May he rest in peace," tweeted his employer.

Police later confirmed the crash and death of the journalist.

"It is alleged he lost control of his vehicle and went off the road, knocked a sign post and overturned several times, killing him on the spot," said Police in a statement on Twitter along with a picture of the crash scene and another one of Muhumuza's driving permit.

"The cause of the accident has been attributed to overspeeding. However, more inquiries are still at hand. His body has been conveyed to City Mortuary [at Mulago] for postmortem examination."


'Very focused reporter'

"I am short of words to describe my pain," Muhumuza's colleague at NTV, Sudhir Byaruhanga, wrote on Twitter after the sad news emerged.

"Edward Muhumuza, you were the most promising reporter and very focused. I can't believe it. May God accept your soul and strengthen your family and colleagues during this tough time. I will never forget the everyday jokes we cracked," he added.

Photos shared on Twitter of the scene of the crash showed the mangled maroon vehicle (UBG 323S) in which Muhumuza was travelling tipped on its side on the roadside, with the windscreen smashed out and driver's door poking out.

Two backpacks and sheets of papers were seen scattered next to the body of the late journalist, covered with a press jacket.

Other videos also shared on social media appeared to show Muhumuza being pulled out of the wreckage, bloodied in the face and apparently unresponsive at that point. In that footage, people at the scene were heard and seen combing through the littered items in an attempt to identify the lone driver and gather his belongings.

A detached steering wheel on the grassy ground provided a visual illustration of how serious the crash was.

Yasin Mugerwa, a colleague at NTV, wrote that Muhumuza had returned "from Bunyoro @1am this morning, spent an hour in the newsroom and decided to drive home....he had coursework to deliver this morning".

Following the news of the deadly crash, Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) tweeted that they had "identified and responded to a fatal motor accident involving one occupant this morning towards Mpala exit".

"The Police have been called in for further investigations. We condole with the family and friends of the deceased".

Kampala Entebbe Expressway also tweeted a statement on the incident.


"We have registered a fatal accident today morning March 25, 2023 at around 7:30am involving one occupant, who Police identified as Mr. Muhumuza Edward, a staff of NTV Uganda," they said.

"The occupant was exiting the Expressway and was opposite the Mpala Toll station. Our intervention team together with Entebbe Police have confirmed that the victim was at a high speed when he lost control of the vehicle.

"Unfortunately, he was unable to make it and he lost his life on the spot. Our condolences go out to his family friends and the entire Nation Media Group."

Muhumuza's Twitter profile indicates him as having been a "Bible student, a current affairs, environment and sports addict", as well as a "social media enthusiast".

His last tweet was on March 3 this year, on the Karamoja relief items scandal that has been a staple for Ugandan news outlets.

Last December, Muhumuza won an award for the best Land and Property Reporting in the Uganda National Journalism Awards.

'He loved farming'

"Muhumuza has died tragically young. He was a very likeable man," said New Vision senior multimedia journalist Umaru Kashaka, who also hosts Press Wall on Urban TV.

"He honed his journalistic skills at Urban TV, where he started his career as a TV journalist, I think in early 2013. He joined NTV when he had also started writing political stories for New Vision.

"He studied at UMCAT School of Journalism and Mass Communication and had a passionate interest in journalism when he started practising. He always worked hard to make his career impressive.

"He also loved farming and always travelled to his home area in Kyegegwa to dig," said Kashaka.
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