Media personality and former Kenya Film Classification Board CEO Ezekiel Mutua has opened up about the death of veteran journalist Kitavi Mutua, sharing a heartfelt tribute that has left many followers emotional.
In a Facebook post shared on Tuesday, November 3, Ezekiel described a recent encounter with Kitavi at a high-profile event in Kitui, hosted by their mutual mentor Isaac Kalua.
What seemed like an ordinary evening at the time has taken on a far deeper meaning in hindsight.
Did Kitavi have premonition of his death?
Ezekiel recalled that he was deep in conversation with PS Belio Kipsang, PS Jonathan Mueke and other dignitaries when Kitavi approached him, took his hand, and insisted they go around greeting the other guests together.
The gesture struck Ezekiel as unusually deliberate.
“He seemed to know exactly where everyone was seated. As we moved through the large tent, he literally held my hand and guided me from table to table,” Ezekiel wrote.
The evening was full of warmth and laughter, with the two friends sharing light moments alongside familiar faces including former Nation Group CEO Linus Gitahi, journalists Joe Ageyo, Linus Kaikai and his family, Japheth Kasanga, and Hon. Kiema Kilonzo, among others.
Looking back, Ezekiel says that for many of those present, it was the last time they saw Kitavi alive.
“Today, as I revisit those memories, I cannot help but feel that it was his way of bidding farewell to so many people,” he wrote.
Ezekiel closed his tribute by celebrating Kitavi’s legacy as a storyteller, writing:
“Kitavi’s gift with the pen told the stories of Ukambani and further afield… Go well, my brother. May your easy smile and your great stories remain your lasting legacy.”
Kitavi was reportedly bitten by a red spitting cobra at his home in Kitui South. His condition deteriorated, with the venom affecting his kidneys, liver and lungs.
He was treated at Kitui County Referral Hospital before being transferred to Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital, where he died on Friday, October 30, 2026, after suffering cardiac arrest.
His family also said he had diabetes, which complicated his condition.
