The body of Ugandan TikToker and journalist Timothy Kayanja, widely known by his online name Jayden, touched down at Entebbe International Airport on Tuesday, 22 September, where grieving family members and close friends gathered to receive him.
Jayden built a massive following through his comedy skits on TikTok, becoming so beloved that his name entered everyday Ugandan slang as a term for spoilt or pampered children. Off screen, though, his life told a very different story.
A long battle behind the laughter
Few of his fans knew the full extent of what Jayden was quietly enduring. He had lived with sickle cell disease for roughly 20 years, a condition that gradually worsened until it developed into aplastic anaemia, a serious disorder in which the body stops producing enough blood cells.
His doctors eventually determined that a bone marrow transplant was his best chance at survival, and he travelled to India to undergo the procedure.
Jayden passed away on September 15, following complications that arose after the transplant. He was 26 years old.
Jayden’s body arrives home
Getting Jayden’s body back to Uganda required a significant community effort. A public fundraising campaign was launched to cover both his outstanding medical bills and the cost of repatriation, drawing support from local celebrities and ordinary well-wishers who had followed his work online.
Watch the moment Jayden’s body arrived at Entebbe International Airport, with family and friends gathered to receive him. A night vigil will be held tonight, September 22, ahead of his burial.
He is set to be laid to rest on September 24, in Sala Village, Wakiso District, as Uganda bids farewell to one of its most recognisable young content creators.
Fans mourn
Jayden Martha major wrote:
“Bambi Jeyden wafee RIP😭😭.”
Fitsroom Hub said:
“Indeed life doesn’t make sense anymore 😭💔 we all struggle just to get buried.”
Momo27 said:
“RIP, brother.” MadPone Madina said:
“RIP, my friend 😭😭.”
Cutie pie said:
“May his soul rest in eternal peace 🕊️.”
Auyo Majorine wrote:
“So painful 💔.”
Brenda Muzungu said:
“I can’t hold my tears. RIP, Jayden.”
Josephine Nantongo said:
“We shall miss his humour 😢.”
