Monitor’s pioneer newspaper vendor in Kabale bows out

On Sunday, newspaper vendors in Kabale District rose up early expecting to pick copies from Kabale Media Centre main shop in Kabale Town as had been the routine.

But this time, they found the shop closed. This was unusual since the owner, Laban Frank Twinomujuni, was habitually an early riser. When they tried to call him, his mobile phones were switched off.

It wasn’t long before the news of his death started trickling in through several FM radio stations and social media platforms.

Colleagues and residents received the news of the death of this ‘humble and polite’ soul with disbelief.

At the time of his death, Twinomujuni was the proprietor of Kabale Media Centre Ltd, whose humble beginnings started in 1996 as Daily Monitor’s pioneer newspaper vendor.

“I am saddened by the death of this humble and polite old man. May his soul rest in peace,” Mr Moses Mugisha, a resident, said.

According to the family, the 75-year-old had been suffering from heart disease for 11 years, and died on his way to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital.

 “On Saturday at around 5pm, Mzee passed by our offices and showed us some of his files. He then proceeded home. But a few minutes past midnight, he complained of breathing difficulties. He breathed his last on his way to the hospital,” Ms Jackline Niwagaba, his daughter, said .

“In 2011, we took him to India for heart surgery and the operation was successful. Since then, he has been going to Mulago Hospital for review every three months. He had just been reviewed and was found to be in a good state. We are saddened by his death,” Ms Niwagaba added.

Twinomujuni was able to win the trust of fellow businessmen with his work acumen, a key attribute that helped him grow his business.

During his early days, he bought a bicycle and later a motorcycle to ease the  transportation of newspapers.

“It’s from this newspaper vending business that he got fees to pay for all his 10 children who have graduated in different disciplines,” Ms Niwagaba said.

“I remember Mzee started vending 10 copies of newspapers, which he used to get from the newspaper main distributor in Mbarara town, about 140km away from Kabale Town. He grew to 100 copies and in 2002, he registered his own company,” she recalled.

Upon this accomplishment, Twionmujuni was approved as a newspaper distributor for Kabale and Kigali in Rwanda.

“He leaves at a time when the newspaper business is booming in Kigezi Sub-region because of his excellent services, vigilance, resilience, and commitment,” Ms Niwagaba said.

Twinomujuni’s contribution also extended to rotary. As a member of Kabale Rotary Club, the deceased is remembered as a dedicated and humble servant who changed many lives .

“He used to carry newspapers in every Rotary club fellowship. I am one of those he attracted to join the Rotary club,” Ms Rachael Nyinakiiza, his daughter, said.

Her father served as the president of the Kabale club, assistant governor, and was its mission green officer at the time of his passing because of his love for environment protection.

Rotarian Peter Nsaba described the deceased as a strong mobiliser.

Details about his burial arrangements were not yet ready by press time.

Who was Twinomujuni?

A resident of Kirigime Village in the southern division of Kabale Municipality, Twinomujuni studied at Kihanda Primary School in Kanungu District. He joined Kigezi High School in Kabale and later Law Development Centre in Kampala for a diploma in administrative law.

After his studies, he worked as a labour officer at Kabale Local Government before joining National Social Security Fund  (NSSF) as a compliance officer in Kigezi Sub-region. In 1999, he asked for early retirement from NSSF after serving for about 10 years and opted to start a newspaper vending business. He started off as a newspaper vendor in 1996 before upgrading to a distributor in 2002, and later establishing Kabale Media Centre Ltd, a company he co-owned with his daughter, Ms Jackline Niwagaba. Twinomujuni is survived by a widow, Ms Peninah Twinomujuni, and 10 children.

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