Olaba P@no, Sikulaba E Kampala: Master Of Catchphrases, Theatre Icon Alex Mukulu Dies

By Swift Reporter

Veteran Ugandan playwright, actor and author Alex Mukulu has died at the age of 72, leaving behind a remarkable legacy spanning more than four decades in Uganda’s theatre and creative arts industry.

News of Mukulu’s death on Saturday, August 15, 2026, has triggered an outpouring of grief and tributes from fans, fellow artists and members of Uganda’s entertainment fraternity, who have described him as one of the country’s most influential theatre practitioners.

Mukulu’s career on stage dates back to 1977, when his first play, Muzukulu wa Kabangala, was produced. He went on to build an extensive body of work over the years, with his final play, The People’s President, produced in 2022.

One of the highlights of his illustrious career came in 2007, when his production Journey to Self-Realization was performed during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kampala.

Beyond theatre, Mukulu was also an accomplished author. His book 30 Years of Bananas, first published in 1993, became one of his best-known literary works, while a stage production bearing the same title also emerged as one of his prominent theatrical works.

Born in 1954 in Misebe, Ssingo County, Mukulu was the son of Paulo Kayizi Lugaizi and Victoria Ndagire, the daughter of Prince Yokana Kimbugwe of Lungujja.

He attended Kololo Secondary School in Kampala before pursuing Film and Drama at Makerere University, an academic foundation that helped launch a career that would see him make a significant contribution to Uganda’s performing arts.

For more than three decades, Mukulu used theatre and storytelling to explore Uganda’s society, culture and political experiences, earning recognition as a creative voice whose work connected entertainment with social commentary.

Following news of his death, tributes poured in online, with many mourners celebrating his contribution to Uganda’s creative industry.

“He was a giant of Ugandan theatre, storytelling and the creative arts,” one tribute read.

Another tribute noted that Mukulu’s work demonstrated the close connection between Uganda’s various creative industries and honoured his contribution to telling the country’s story.

As Uganda mourns the death of one of its veteran storytellers, Mukulu leaves behind decades of work that helped shape the country’s theatre landscape and inspired generations of performers, writers and audiences.