She called him ‘boyfriend’, they called him mentor: Remembering Alex Mukulu

What the report says

Sqoop Uganda reported on the tributes following the death of Ugandan theatre legend Alex Mukulu, describing how colleagues, family and cultural leaders remembered him as a demanding director, a teacher and a mentor who shaped generations of performers. The piece centers on reflections shared during memorial tributes, including comments from his former wife, Christine Mukulu, who said she still thought of him as her “boyfriend” because their relationship began when she was 14 and he was 19. She said he influenced both her life and career and was with her in his final hours.

The article also quotes theatre figures such as Charles Senkubuge “Siasa,” who portrayed Mukulu as a rare figure in Ugandan arts and someone who insisted on discipline, rehearsal and script preparation. According to the report, Mukulu helped train artists through the Theatrical Association of Uganda and was known for pushing performers to meet high standards. The story says his approach reflected an older school of theatre that valued precision and audience respect.

Phina Mugerwa of the Uganda National Cultural Centre board of trustees said Mukulu’s legacy went beyond performances to the people he trained and inspired. Sqoop Uganda added that the wider reaction raised a broader question about whether Ugandans do enough to recognize cultural figures while they are still alive. The article frames Mukulu’s passing as a significant loss for theatre, the National Theatre community and Uganda’s creative sector.