Next media journalist Kitone among eight killed in Mbarara taxi crash

MBARARA - Next-media journalist Julius Kitone was among eight people who were killed on Friday, February 13, 2026, following a head-on crash involving a commuter taxi and trailer along the Mbarara-Lyantonde highway. 

Samson Kasasira, the spokesperson for the Rwizi region police, attributed the crash to reckless driving by the taxi driver. 

"Police in Kiruhura district on Friday, February 13, 2026, at around 6:30 registered a fatal accident at Kibega 1 village along Mbarara Lyantonde highway involving two motor vehicles, a Toyota Hiace white in colour and a Mercedes Benz Actros that claimed eight lives," Kasasira said. 

He said all those who died were passengers in the Toyota Hiace, and one victim who was injured had been rushed to Mbarara regional referral hospital for treatment.

"It's alleged that the Toyota Hiace was from Mbarara headed to Lyantonde, while the trailer was from Lyantonde headed to Mbarara direction. The Toyota Hiace driver overtook from a corner and ended up colliding with the trailer that was coming from the opposite direction in its lane at Kibega 1 Village along the Mbarara Lyantonde, causing fatality and serious injuries to the occupants in the Toyota Hiace," Kasasira added. 

He explained that four bodies of the deceased were still stacked in the vehicle by Friday evening, but efforts to retrieve them are still ongoing.

Kasasira said efforts to identify the deceased are also still ongoing.

This is the second accident involving a taxi that has led to a massive loss of lives within one week. 

On Saturday last week, eight people were killed when the taxi they were moving in collided with a Link bus in Kassanda district.