When Uganda’s Lakes Fell Sick, Dr Rose Mugidde Was Among the Scientists Who Listened

What the report says

Nile Post reports that Dr Rose Mugidde, a Ugandan limnologist who spent nearly four decades studying inland waters, died on October 25, 2026, in India and was buried on November 7 in Bukiiti Town Council, Sironko District. The article says her work focused especially on Lake Victoria and on helping Ugandans understand ecological changes such as algal blooms, nutrient pollution and falling oxygen levels in lake waters.

According to the report, Mugidde joined the then Uganda Freshwater Fisheries Research Organisation in 1987 and later became part of NaFIRRI under NARO. Her academic path included studies at Makerere University, the University of Manitoba and the University of Waterloo, where she earned a PhD in biology with a limnology focus. Her research examined phytoplankton, nutrient dynamics and the ecological changes affecting the African Great Lakes.

Colleagues quoted by Nile Post say her findings helped build a scientific baseline for understanding eutrophication in Lake Victoria and informed environmental policy and research in Uganda. The article also notes that she often conducted fieldwork from canoes and boats in difficult conditions, reflecting the practical demands of lake science. Beyond the technical work, the report presents her legacy as the body of knowledge she leaves behind for future researchers, conservationists and institutions working on Uganda’s freshwater systems.