Celebrated Ugandan playwright and theatre practitioner Alex Mukulu has died at the age of 72.
Mukulu died on Saturday, according to people close to his family but details surrounding his death remain scanty as more information is expected from the family.
Mukulu was one of Uganda’s prominent figures in theatre, leaving a lasting mark through his work as a playwright, actor, director and drama educator.
Born in 1954 in Misebe, Ssingo County, Buganda, Mukulu was the son of Paulo Kayizi Lugaizi and Victoria Ndagire, the daughter of Prince Yokana Kimbugwe of Lungujja.
His passion for the performing arts developed early. He attended Namilyango Primary School before joining Kololo Secondary School, where he became president of the school’s drama club and completed his O-Level studies.
Reflecting on his education, Mukulu said he later dropped out after Senior Four and joined the Rwenzori Band, spending about three years pursuing music before returning to formal education.
He subsequently joined Caltec Academy for A-Level studies and later enrolled at Makerere University, where he studied Music, Dance and Drama (MDD).
Mukulu went on to establish himself as a leading voice in Ugandan theatre. His best-known plays include 30 Years of Bananas released as Uganda celebrated hr 30th independence anniversary.
The play summed up the period.
He also had Wounds of Africa and Guest of Honour, works that explored Uganda’s history, politics, society and the experiences of ordinary people.
His contribution to the performing arts also reached the international stage. His play Journey to Self-Realization was performed during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in Kampala in 2007.
Through decades of work, Mukulu became recognised as a veteran of Uganda’s theatre scene and an influential figure among generations of performers and playwrights.
