KAMPALA — Uganda’s arts and entertainment industry is mourning the death of veteran playwright, actor, director and author Alex Mukulu, who has died at the age of 72.
Mukulu died on Saturday, August 15, 2026, following an illness he had reportedly battled for the past couple of months, marking the end of a career that spanned more than four decades and helped shape Uganda’s modern theatre.
Born in 1954, Mukulu became one of Uganda’s most influential theatre practitioners, using drama, music and satire to explore politics, leadership, culture, history and the everyday experiences of Ugandans.
His career began in the late 1970s, with Muzukulu wa Kabangala among his early productions. Over the years, he produced and directed several acclaimed works, including Wounds of Africa, 30 Years of Bananas, Dances with Poverty, Excuse Me Mzungu and The Guest of Honour.
His most celebrated works included 30 Years of Bananas, a political satire that examined Uganda’s post-independence political journey. The work was also published as a book by Oxford University Press in 1993.
Mukulu’s contribution extended beyond the theatre stage. In 2007, his production Journey to Self-Realisation was performed during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kampala. He also directed a production marking Uganda’s 50th anniversary of independence in 2012.
Despite spending decades in the industry, Mukulu remained active in the arts. In 2024, he returned to the National Theatre with Kulunkalu ne Kulumbisi, an African adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, after a 17-year absence from the Ugandan stage.
His final major play, The People’s President, was produced in 2022, according to New Vision.
Mukulu was also recognised for mentoring younger artists and contributing to the development of Uganda’s theatre industry at a time when live theatre faced growing competition from television and digital entertainment.
Tributes have already started coming in from Uganda’s cultural and political circles. Buganda Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga mourned Mukulu, describing him as a gifted artist who was deeply committed to Buganda’s culture and traditions.
In 2024, Mr Mayiga had praised Mukulu’s contribution to Ugandan theatre after attending his production at the National Theatre, describing his work as a powerful portrayal of the good, bad and ugly in society.
Mukulu’s death leaves a significant void in Uganda’s performing arts sector. For generations of audiences and artists, his work served not only as entertainment but also as a platform for examining the country’s political, social and cultural journey.
As tributes continue to pour in, Uganda’s theatre community is expected to celebrate the legacy of a man whose creativity, criticism and commitment to the stage helped define an important chapter in the country’s cultural history.