Isaac Katende, known by his media personality name Kasuku, experienced the loss of two close friends within a span of one month. Olaxes Ismail, also known as Jajja Kalevu Ichuli, whose real name was Ibrahim Tusubira, tragically passed away on Saturday, May 6, after being fatally shot.
On Wednesday, June 7, Kato Lubwama, a renowned actor, filmmaker, and media entrepreneur, also passed away. Both Lubwama and Ichuli played crucial roles in the development of Kasuku's YouTube channel. Isaac Katende, as the host of Kasuku Live, which now has an audience of 105k subscribers, regularly featured them for social commentary. Their conversations were highly regarded for being informative and entertaining, and it is rare to find a Ugandan social media user who has not watched clips from their interactions.
Following the announcement of Kato Lubwama's passing, Kasuku's fans expressed concern on social media, speculating about his emotional state and wondering about his whereabouts since he had been silent online. Eventually, Kasuku visited Kato Lubwama's home to pay his respects during the vigil.
Addressing the reporters, he expressed, "... it's a challenging situation, but I'm grateful to be alive... I've noticed the support from those who sympathize with me. I constantly contemplate how to fill that void."
When discussing Kato Lubwama, he described him as "a skilled storyteller" and shared that Lubwama had suggested their interactions be as natural as possible. Lubwama had advised him to start recording whenever he saw him, aiming for an authentic and unfiltered vibe in their videos. Kasuku remarked, "He was someone who didn't conform to societal expectations based on age. He was adaptable and treated people as they were."
Jenkins Mukasa, a music analyst and mutual friend of Lubwama and Kasuku, commented about Lubwama, stating, "We need people who are realistic and speak their mind... we don't want those who pretend that everything is fine."
The funeral service for Kato Lubwama is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, June 14, at his ancestral home in Nkozi, Mpigi, where he will be laid to rest beside his father.