Julius Kitone: The Boy from Kiteredde Who Became a Pillar for Many
Julius Kitone was laid to rest on Monday, February 16 in Kiteredde Village, Rakai District.
At just 35, Julius Kitone’s life ended, but his legacy of kindness, mentorship, and devotion to family and community continues to shine. His funeral in Kiteredde, Rakai, was a testament to a life that touched many, from children to colleagues, leaving grief and gratitude intertwined.
Julius Kitone's quiet gaze met every mourner with the reassurance of life itself. Dressed in a blue suit, patterned shirt, and tie, his arms folded in calm, forward-looking composure, it was almost impossible to accept that this was a funeral portrait — that the young man, barely 35, lay still in the polished casket.
Even the skies of Kiteredde seemed to deny the loss. The 3pm sun shone warmly, as if insisting that the hope Julius inspired would not be buried with him. It was not a harsh, searing heat, but a gentle caress over mourners’ grief.
The portrait, the weather and then the orphans - who giggled and whispered unaware of the grief rippling through the white tent - all contrasted painfully with the grief soaking the family of Emmanuel Ndawula.
Julius Kitone was laid to rest on Monday, 16th February 2026, at his ancestral home in Kiteredde Cell, Magabi Ward, Ntantamuki Town Council, Rakai District. Until the burial ceremony began, many mourners struggled to accept the harsh reality of his passing. Friends, colleagues, classmates, mentors, and relatives arrived in steady streams to honor a man whose life had touched so many in profound ways.
Kitone leaves behind a blended family with Catherine Ainebyoona and Gertrude Nakajjiri, and five young children, all under the age of ten. His legacy was one of selfless service, commitment, and the quiet dignity of someone who lifted others while rarely seeking recognition for himself.
“He was committed to his work and respectful to everyone he interacted with,” said Joyce Bagala, MP for Mityana Woman Constituency and Kitone’s former supervisor at NBS TV.
“Kitone has gathered almost all journalists here today — over 300 of us. He is only the second to do so after Edward Muhumuza, who worked with NTV before his untimely passing,” said Abubakar Lubowa, a journalist with Nation Media Group and leader in the Uganda Journalists Association.
Kitone, the third-born of six children and the eldest boy, had long been the family's pillar. “Kitone has been our strongest support. Many of us could attend school because of him. He helped pay for our mother’s treatment and countless other family needs,” said Muudu Mike, Kitone’s brother.
Despite the long journey from Kampala to Rakai, the Next Media team arrived in numbers to honor their colleague, mentor, and friend. Many wept openly as they recounted Kitone’s professionalism, warmth, and unwavering commitment. Led by Ismail Ssembatya, Head of Operations in the News and Current Affairs Department, they offered their farewell.
“We thank God for Kitone, who joined us in the 2016 elections, reporting from Luwero until 2020 when he moved to the headquarters,” Ssembatya said. “He worked with everyone in the newsroom with joy and a warm heart. He will be deeply missed. Please, as you educate his children, remember that he earned his assets through hard work. God has a way of providing.”
At just 35, Kitone’s young children are left to navigate life without a father. Guided by Rev Fr Steven Kijjambu, who led the funeral mass, and with support from MP Joyce Bagala, mourners were invited to contribute to a collection for the children. Dressed neatly, the five children held baskets as mourners offered their support, smiles reflecting innocence and unawareness of the profound loss around them.
Born on February 24 1991, Kitone attended Rwensinga and Buzza primary schools before completing his O’Level studies at Kibale Community Secondary School. He completed his A’Level at Blessed Sacrament Kimaanya, later joining Makerere University for a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. Kitone went on to earn a Postgraduate Diploma and a Master’s in Project Management at Uganda Management Institute (UMI).
Before his recognized journalistic career, Kitone taught at Greenvally Nursery School in Kagamba and worked with WBS before joining NBS, where he remained until his passing. He was an embodiment of humility, rising from remote schools yet remaining approachable, kindhearted, and committed even when life placed him among the most successful.
Little hands continued their quiet, playful vigil during the ceremony. The children’s curiosity and laughter — soft, fleeting, and tender — balanced the solemnity expected on this day. Two boys in navy outfits and two girls in black and white dresses explored their surroundings with cautious excitement, while the youngest rested in their mother’s arms.
In this juxtaposition of innocence and grief, the essence of Julius Kitone’s life became palpable: joy, guidance, and warmth even in the midst of darkness.
By 4pm, the media fraternity was called forward for final prayers before carrying the casket to its resting place behind the family’s brick house. The polished wooden coffin, with gold-colored handles and a crucifix placed gently atop, weighed heavily on the journalists who carried it, each step a testament to the pain of losing a colleague, a mentor, and a friend.
As hymns were sung and prayers offered, the casket symbolized both farewell and memory — a physical line between loss and the enduring presence of Kitone in the hearts of those he touched.
When lowered into the grave, visible waves of grief swept across the crowd, an unspoken acknowledgment of the life that had departed too soon.
Beyond the burial site, the rolling hills of Rakai stretched across the horizon, slopes neat and open rather than wild and untamed.
There was one of those many hills nearby. Its terrain, marked by cultivated patches and grazing land, quietly gazed at us, the mourners. It was like they were speaking to us. You could hear Nani Ntengo, Sonto Dladla, and Neli Gwala voices in Luvi Wami (My Love).
In South African pop song Luvi Wami, a lover is filled with nostalgia. Her Lezontaba is gone forever and when she looks at the hill, the memories flood in - how they used to come over here and have fun but now he is no more.
Only that this Lezontaba is now Julius Kitone, who grew up playing on this beautiful hill but now lay in the soil at its foot leaving behind only memories.
For Catherine Ainebyoona and Gertrude Nakajjiri, the lyrics has "Oh, Julius Kitone" written allover it.
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