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"I am deeply saddened by the passing of my friend and brother, Tamale Mirundi. We shared a friendship and professional relationship spanning over 20 years. He was a courageous and outspoken individual who tirelessly fought for the truth," General Kainerugaba expressed in a heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday morning.
He added, "Uganda has lost a true patriot who loved his country dearly. May his soul rest in peace."
Joseph Tamale Mirundi, a former presidential press secretary and advisor on media matters, passed away on Tuesday night at the age of 59. He reportedly succumbed to complications related to his lungs around 11:40 P.M. at Kisubi Hospital in Kampala, where he had been receiving treatment for over a month.
Family sources indicate that although Mirundi's health had shown signs of improvement earlier in the week, his condition worsened rapidly on Tuesday. Medical reports reveal that he had been suffering from fluid accumulation in his lungs, which doctors were draining. However, during the procedure on Tuesday, blood was extracted instead of fluid, leading to further complications.
Mirundi served as President Yoweri Museveni's press secretary until his dismissal in July 2015, a role he held for approximately 13 years. In 2019, Mirundi disclosed that he had been poisoned, though it remains uncertain whether he fully recovered from the incident.
Born in 1964 in Rakai District to Molly Namatovu and Yowana Mirundi, Tamale Mirundi was a prominent journalist, author, and political analyst. He was well-known for his sharp and often controversial commentary on various media platforms, including Radio 4, NBS TV, Top Radio, Beat FM, ABS TV, Impact FM, STV Uganda, Pearl FM, and Metro FM.