Kitui-based journalist Kitavi Mutua has died after suffering a snake bite, plunging the journalism fraternity into mourning.
Mutua died on Saturday at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital, where he had been admitted following the snake attack, according to family members and friends.
He had spent several days in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) before succumbing to multiple organ failure, hospital officials said.
His death has sparked an outpouring of tributes from colleagues, friends and members of the media fraternity, who remember him as a seasoned journalist and storyteller who made a significant contribution to journalism in the region.
The Beyond Facts Podcast team, in a statement mourning his death, described Mutua as a veteran journalist and a distinguished member of the Fourth Estate.
“Today, the journalism fraternity has lost a voice, a colleague and a seasoned storyteller. We have lost not just a fellow journalist, but one of our own whose journey in the media industry formed part of the story of journalism in our region,” the team said.
The podcast team said Mutua’s work covered several critical areas, including politics, health, agriculture, the environment and climate change.
It added that his contribution to the media industry would remain part of his enduring legacy, describing his death as a painful loss to colleagues and the wider journalism fraternity.
“Kitavi, you have filed your final story, but your legacy will continue to speak — and loudly so,” the statement read.
The team extended its condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and the entire media fraternity.
Mutua’s death also brings renewed attention to the danger of snake bites, particularly in rural parts of Kitui County, where encounters with snakes remain a concern for residents.
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