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Douglas Nsubuga, one of the finest sports journalists in Uganda, died on March 23, at his home in Lubaga.
A top scribe in the 1980s and 1990s, Nsubuga left an indelible mark on the media industry as one of the most knowledgeable sports journalists of his generation. His passion for journalism spanned nearly 50 years where he spent most of his life working for top media organizations at the time, like the defunct Voice of Uganda, Uganda Times, Weekly Topic, and Soccer World among others.
So, it was only fitting that hundreds of mourners gathered at Kalambi to pay their final respects to a man who was considered as an encyclopedia of football. Among the mourners at Kalambi was the veteran sports journalist and legendary football star Fredrick Kiyingi Musisi who worked with Nsubuga at Soccer World.
Kiyingi said: “He was knowledgeable and had a sharp memory, we used to turn to him whenever we faced a challenge in the newsroom.”
Another sports journalist, Robert Mugagga, who worked closely with Nsubuga described him as a beacon of inspiration and a mentor. But Mugagga also found him to be quite sociable and a very honest individual, who in his view, was a pillar of journalism, that touched many lives.
Mugagga recalled: “When I was in S.3 at Kisubi Minor Seminary, I wrote a sports story about a penalty shoot-out which Uganda lost, and I sent it to Douglas [Nsubuga]. He had it published in Soccer World. But Nsubuga’s impact did not just stop in the newsroom. Fred Musoke, the chairman of Bulwa Zone in Lubaga Division where Nsubuga was staying, was full of praise for the man.
He said: “He used to help many people in my zone to write job applications and business proposals.
A STORIED CAREER
Nsubuga was born on January 1, 1956 to Kaddu Nsubuga and Manjeri Nabbuto of Kiwanga in Mukono. After Mukono Bishop SS and Kampala High School, Nsubuga went to Uganda Management Institute (UMI) where he pursued a diploma in journalism and graduated in 1976.
Nsubuga was an all-round journalist, but he later specialized in sports writing with the guidance of former Munno sports editor, the late Fred Ssekabembe who nurtured him into a good sports journalist.
He also worked briefly with Sports Recorder, a sports magazine edited by the late Bagenda Mpiima. He then moved to the government owned Voice of Uganda in 1977. That proved to be Nsubuga’s breakthrough moment, when he wrote about the banning of Express FC in February 1977.
At that time, Nsubuga had joined Uganda Journalists Association (UJA), as well as the Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) where he made a mark as one of the best journalists. In 1982, when KCC FC started the football magazine Soccer World, Nsubuga was among the few journalists who was recruited.
While there, Nsubuga worked under senior editors: Paul Waibale Snr, Rashid Mudin, Fred Musisi, Sewanyo Kiganda and Idi Seif. At Soccer World, Nsubuga wrote local football features and also authored a weekly column titled: “League in a Nutshell”, where he reviewed and previewed the national league. Nsubuga’s passion for domestic football drew him towards supporting SC Villa.
In fact, he authored a number of articles highlighting the traditional rivalry between Villa and Express. He was also an ardent follower of Bika football because of his Mmamba clan. Nsubuga also covered athletics and boxing for the Weekly Topic in 1992.
HIS LAST DAYS
While Nsubuga was at the peak of his powers in journalism by 1993, he struggled with a drinking problem, which affected his work. On a number of occasions, he missed his assignments as a result.
He ended up losing his jobs at the Weekly Topic and Soccer World. He tried to move to the Monitor Newspaper, but because of his drinking, he could not sustain the job there. As a result, Nsubuga spent the subsequent years at his mother’s residence in Lubaga.
Due to his heavy drinking and smoking, he occasionally sent in stories to different newspapers to be published. But towards the end of 2024, Nsubuga ran into thugs as he returned home at night, who beat him into a coma.
Nsubuga was rushed to Lubaga hospital but he was never the same again. He was walking with difficulty while using a walking stick. He also lost his voice, following that attack. Until passing on last week, Nsubuga has been living a life of pain. But for the fine legacy he built, we will forever celebrate him!
