Iryn Namubiru

On 24 November 2018 she survived an accident in Lake Victoria, where a cruise boat carrying party revellers capsized, killing 33 people.

On 3 May 2013 Namubiru was arrested in Tokyo, Japan for alleged possession of illegal drugs, where she had gone to perform at a music concert. Namubiru was arrested at Tokyo's Narita International Airport, before performing at the concert.

Namubiru was found carrying ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine), the drug was concealed in her luggage. She was transferred from the Tokyo airport detention facility to a police station in Central Tokyo where she recorded a statement in connection to the possession of MDMA commonly known as "ecstasy" (being in possession of this drug is a crime in Japan); she however denied any knowledge of the drug. On 24 May 2013, at a hearing in Japan, the court did not find her guilty of drug-trafficking charges as the evidence provided by the state was not enough to pin the star to the level of a drug dealer, and so, now that the court had found Namubiru to be innocent, police in Japan had her cleared of drug trafficking charges and set her free.

Namubiru has been widely criticised by her detractors for dressing "inappropriately" in her music videos and, at times, her concerts. Her critics charge that her costumes go against the traditional Ugandan way of dressing and set a bad example for other aspiring musicians. In 2009, her video for the hugely successful Bonna Obasinga was panned by several people, several of them fans, for going too far with the swimming costume she wore. She later decided to shoot another video for the song to placate her critics. However, many of her fans have defended her "creative" dressing against such accusations and blame them on those who are still socially backward and are not willing to try out new styles.

These songs were not successful in Uganda. Later on in 2006, Namubiru joined forces with singer Bebe Cool in the songs "Simbalala" and "Lwaki Onzannyilako?".

However, Namubiru did not achieve widespread success until 2006 when she released her album Nkuweeki?. This marked the beginning of her fast rise to be one of the best female musicians in Uganda. Since 2006, Namubiru has released several successful songs like "Y'ono", "Lwaki", "Bonna Obasinga", "Begombeko", "Birowoozo", which have earned her several leading awards in the Ugandan music industry. In 2011, Namubiru capped her most successful year ever by winning in four categories of the 2011 PAM (Pearl of Africa Music) Awards. She won in the categories of Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Best RnB Single of the Year.

In 1999, she joined Kanyomozi, her former schoolmate at Namasagali College, to form the R&B all-girl group called I-Jay. In 2000, they released their first 7 track album titled WAIT which included songs Wait RMX (Ft Steve Jean), Not Good Enough, Mwana, Wait, Emirimu, Vivi LA Vi and Two To Make It True... which got moderate air play on radio stations in Uganda.

According to Namubiru, she has always had a passion for singing since her childhood and always strove to make this talent a bigger part of her life. Her first major attempt at success in the music industry came in 1995 when she joined singers-cum-rapper DJs Ragga Dee and Molar-Messe, as the group Da Hommies, and "Joss Jjew" Mawejje as studio arranger/keyboardist, helping release a series of singles including the group's hits "Bamusakata", "Mukwano", "Mukyala tokaba", early 1995. Her own first single "learn to say good bue" also appeared on the group's subsequent album to great acclaim. Soon afterwards, she had her first stage appearance in September 1995.