The Principal Chemist at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Grace Lajwe, has passed away, family and friends have confirmed.
Ms Lajwe reportedly slipped and fell in the bathroom of her home in Mukono District on Thursday morning.
Family sources told the Nile Post that she was breathing heavily as she was rushed to the hospital holding her head in anguish but, unfortunately, did not make it.
"The information coming in is that she slid while in the bathroom and was breathing heavily when she was being rushed to the hospital. She couldn't make it," a source revealed.
In a brief statement, the Ministry of Energy described her death as a devastating loss, saying, "Dark clouds are hanging over our house as we mourn our principal chemist."
Lajwe, who grew up in Kakira and completed her formal education on the estate, earned a Master of Science in Chemistry from Makerere University.
She was a key leader in the ministry’s Department of Geological Survey and Mines and played a pivotal role in Uganda’s recent mineral discoveries.
Working closely with colleagues such as Senior Chemist Henry Onyege, Mineral Dresser Adrian Kalajja, and Geologist Richard Kiggwe, Ms Lajwe undertook fieldwork and sample collection to validate mineral finds.
The ministry lauded her tireless efforts, saying, "Her dedication to enhancing mineral dressing in Uganda will never be forgotten."
The ministry extended condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues, adding, "Our thoughts are with her loved ones during this difficult time."
Funeral arrangements were not yet available as her family was in a meeting at the time of writing.
In her professional capacity, Ms Lajwe had expressed concern about the challenges facing scientists in Uganda.
During a presentation on chemical analytical techniques in Vienna, Austria, in March 2018, she lamented the slow adaptation to modern analytical technologies in the country.
"As a result, inefficient and outdated analytical techniques are being used," she said at the time.
Her death, at the age of 45, comes as the ministry is accelerating efforts on key mineral prospects, making her loss even more deeply felt.