ALEX MUKULU TRIBUTE: The ball is still on the penalty spot!

What the report says

The Independent Uganda published a tribute by Patrick Oyulu reflecting on the legacy of Ugandan theatre figure Alex Mukulu, following Mukulu’s death and departure from the stage. The piece uses a personal recollection from Makerere University in 1992 to introduce Mukulu’s influence and the wider theatre scene in Uganda, including actors and troupes that helped shape the country’s performing arts.

According to the article, Mukulu stood out for challenging conventional stage design and for using theatre to comment on Uganda’s politics and society. The tribute highlights his production "30 Years of Bananas," which the writer says presented Uganda’s first decades of independence through the perspective of a Rwandese refugee character. The article also revisits Mukulu’s football metaphor, in which a penalty attempt symbolized political accountability that remained unresolved.

The piece says Mukulu died after a long career that changed Ugandan theatre “for the better,” and notes that he is being remembered alongside other cultural figures who contributed to the arts. It frames his work as both entertaining and politically sharp, suggesting that his approach helped expand what Ugandan theatre could say and how it could be staged. The article is presented as a tribute rather than a straight news report, and its significance lies in the enduring debate over political accountability and the role of theatre in public life.