Alex Mukulu, veteran Ugandan playwright and theatre icon, dies at 72

Veteran Ugandan playwright, actor, and filmmaker Alex Mukulu has died at the age of 72. His death, reported on Saturday, August 15, 2026, has prompted tributes from artists and cultural practitioners across Uganda.

Mukulu’s career spanned over four decades, beginning in 1977 with the production of ‘Muzukulu wa Kabangala’. He was a prominent figure in protest theatre, using his work to address political change, social inequality, and cultural identity. Notable productions included ‘Wounds of Africa’ (1988), ‘30 Years of Bananas’ (1991), and ‘The People’s President’ (2022). In 2007, his work ‘Journey to Self-Realization’ was performed at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala.

An alumnus of Makerere University, Mukulu was also an accomplished author. His final major stage work, an African adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ titled ‘Kulunkalu ne Kulumbisi’, was staged at the National Theatre in 2024. He is remembered as a principled voice who helped shape the modern Ugandan stage.