Celebrated Ugandan playwright and theatre practitioner Alex Mukulu has died at the age of 72, marking the loss of one of the country’s recognised figures in theatre.
People close to Mukulu’s family confirmed his death on Saturday, although details surrounding his passing remain limited. Further information is expected from the family.
Mukulu built a decades-long career across several areas of the performing arts, working as a playwright, actor, director and drama educator.
His work became particularly notable for engaging with Uganda’s history, politics, society and the experiences of ordinary people.
Born in 1954 in Misebe, Ssingo County, Buganda, Mukulu was the son of Paulo Kayizi Lugaizi and Victoria Ndagire.
His mother, Victoria Ndagire, was the daughter of Prince Yokana Kimbugwe of Lungujja. Mukulu’s interest in performance developed during his school years.
He attended Namilyango Primary School before joining Kololo Secondary School, where he became president of the school’s drama club.
After completing his O-Level studies, Mukulu left formal education and joined the Rwenzori Band. He spent about three years pursuing music before eventually returning to education.
“I later dropped out after Senior Four and joined the Rwenzori Band, spending about three years pursuing music before returning to formal education.”
He later attended Caltec Academy for A-Level studies before enrolling at Makerere University.
At Makerere, Mukulu studied Music, Dance and Drama, a course that helped shape his subsequent career in Uganda’s performing arts.
Mukulu went on to establish himself as a prominent Ugandan playwright and theatre practitioner.
Among his best-known productions was 30 Years of Bananas, which was released as Uganda marked its 30th independence anniversary.
The production formed part of Mukulu’s body of work examining the country and its experiences.
He also produced Wounds of Africa and Guest of Honour, works that explored Uganda’s history, politics, society and the lives of ordinary people.
His theatre career eventually extended to a major international platform in Kampala.
In 2007, Mukulu’s Journey to Self-Realization was performed during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, commonly known as CHOGM, held in Kampala.
The appearance placed his theatrical work within one of the major international events hosted in Uganda that year.
Beyond individual productions, Mukulu became known as a veteran of the Ugandan theatre scene.
His work also influenced generations of performers and playwrights, giving him a significant place within Uganda’s performing arts history.
His career demonstrated the different paths through which practitioners could contribute to the country’s cultural sector, from acting and directing to writing and drama education.
For Uganda’s theatre community, his passing therefore comes after a long period of involvement in an industry where his work addressed subjects closely connected to the country’s social and historical experience.
At the time of reporting, details about the circumstances surrounding Alex Mukulu’s death had not been provided.
The cause and location of his death have also not been disclosed.
Funeral arrangements and any planned memorial or official tributes have not been announced in the information available.
More details are expected from Mukulu’s family.
His death nevertheless closes a significant chapter in the story of Ugandan theatre, following decades in which he worked across multiple areas of the performing arts.
From his early days in school drama and music to his later work as a playwright, actor, director and educator, Alex Mukulu leaves behind a body of work that remains part of Uganda’s theatrical heritage.
His productions, including 30 Years of Bananas, Wounds of Africa, Guest of Honour and Journey to Self-Realization, form part of the record of a career that connected theatre with Uganda’s history, politics and society.
