TANGA / MBARARA, Uganda — Dr Stephen Asiimwe, a Ugandan physician, epidemiologist and public health researcher from Sheema District, has died following a motorcycle crash in Tanzania’s Tanga Region.
Asiimwe died on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, while on a motorcycle tour with the Free Bikers and Ride Safe group, according to colleagues and members of the riding group.
Reports from the scene indicate that Asiimwe was struck by a truck while riding with the group. A fellow rider told ChimpReports that the truck was travelling in the opposite direction and veered toward the motorcyclists as it attempted to overtake other vehicles. Asiimwe was reportedly knocked off the road and rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
He had left Uganda on Sept. 16 and was travelling through Nairobi toward Tanga. He was the team leader of the group and was known among friends not only for his work in medicine and public health but also for his passion for long distance motorcycle tours, hiking and outdoor activities.
Asiimwe was serving as programme director of the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) Massachusetts General Hospital Global Health Collaborative. He was also an honorary senior lecturer in the Department of Community Health at MUST.
Massachusetts General Hospital described him as a physician scientist with extensive experience in clinical and population based research, programme design and implementation in Uganda. He previously served as executive director of Integrated Community Based Initiatives, where he was involved in community programmes and research on HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
He trained as a doctor at Makerere University, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery in 1999. He later earned a master’s degree in epidemiology and biostatistics from Case Western Reserve University in 2006 and a Doctor of Public Health in epidemiology and health policy from the University of Georgia in 2013.
His research work covered HIV, chronic diseases, lung health, ageing and other public health issues. He also contributed to medical research as an author and investigator, including work involving researchers at MUST and other international institutions.
A researcher who also loved riding
Asiimwe’s death has drawn particular attention because of his own concerns about road safety.
In June 2026, following the death of his young nephew in a road crash, Asiimwe wrote about the pain of seeing preventable deaths on Uganda’s roads and described road crashes as a long standing public health concern.
At MUST, where he served in several academic and research roles, colleagues remembered him for his contribution to research, innovation and mentorship. The university had also identified him as a member of its Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer board.
Tributes from colleagues and friends described him as a husband, father, researcher, teacher and passionate rider whose work had touched communities in western Uganda and beyond.
His death has left the health and academic communities in Mbarara mourning a researcher whose career was closely linked to improving public health in the region.
Funeral and repatriation arrangements had not been announced by Tuesday morning. Tanzanian authorities are expected to continue investigations into the crash.
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