NBS’ Julius Kitone, 7 others killed in road crash on Mbarara-Lyantonde road

Lyantonde, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Eight people, including a journalist, have been confirmed dead following a fatal road crash that occurred on Friday evening at Kibega 1 Village along the Mbarara-Lyantonde Highway.
The accident involved a white Toyota Hiace taxi, registration number UBQ 016U, and a Mercedes-Benz Actros trailer, registration numbers KDQ 668L / ZH 5133. One of the deceased has been identified as Julius Kitone, a journalist who has for long been attached to Next Media’s NBS Television.
Rwizi Region Police spokesperson Samson Kasasira said preliminary findings indicate that the Toyota Hiace, which was travelling from Mbarara towards Lyantonde, attempted to overtake at a corner and collided head-on with the oncoming trailer travelling in the opposite direction.
Kasasira added that four of the bodies were still trapped in the wreckage by late evening, with rescue efforts ongoing.
 

Its sad that our colleague Julius Kitone has filed his final story and stepped into the quiet. Sad to everyone at @nbstv, Rest well my friend @kitonejulius pic.twitter.com/l0xnu0dMNO
— Gabriel Buule (@GabrielBuule) February 13, 2026

Safari Mugyenyi, the Chairperson of Sanga Town Council, said the driver of the Toyota Hiace drone lost control before ramming into the oncoming truck. He noted that first responders managed to retrieve four bodies from the vehicle, while four others remained trapped. One survivor, only identified as Sam, who was in critical condition, was rushed to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. Mugyenyi attributed the crash to overspeeding by both the taxi and the trailer drivers.
An eyewitness, Moses Nkabagye, a resident of the area, said this was the second serious accident at the same location within two weeks. He observed that drivers often accelerate after passing the humps in Sanga Town, making the stretch particularly dangerous.
Police said efforts to identify the remaining victims are ongoing. Preliminary investigations point to reckless driving as the likely cause of the crash.
Kitone