By mutebi Farooq
Veteran Ugandan playwright, actor and filmmaker Alex Mukulu has died aged 72, bringing to a close a career that helped shape the country’s modern theatre.
Mukulu’s death was reported on Saturday by Ugandan media, including New Vision and CTV Uganda. The cause of death had not been publicly confirmed by press time.
Born in 1954 in Misebe, Ssingo County, Buganda, Mukulu studied film and drama at Makerere University after attending Kololo Secondary School.
He became widely known for protest theatre, using his productions to explore political change, social inequality, culture and everyday life in Uganda.
His notable works included Wounds of Africa (1988), 30 Years of Bananas (1991), Excuse Me Mzungu (1992) and The Guest of Honour (1994).
His play Journey to Self-Realization was presented at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Kampala in 2007.
Mukulu’s other productions included Muzukulu wa Kabangala, I Killed the Archbishop, A Good Muganda Case and The People’s President.
He returned to the stage in 2024 after a lengthy break with Kulunkalu ne Kulumbisi, an African adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The production was staged at the National Theatre in Kampala.
Through his work, Mukulu often used the stage to challenge audiences on political and social questions.
His death has prompted tributes from artists, journalists and other cultural figures, who have remembered him as a strong and outspoken voice in Uganda’s performing arts.
Mukulu leaves behind a legacy of theatre that combined entertainment with social commentary and pushed audiences to reflect on the country’s political and cultural realities.
Details of his funeral arrangements and further information from his family are expected to be announced later.
