Meet Don Andre, Uganda's fastest rising comedian

He seems uncertain of himself, like he is not sure where he wants to go with his stories. Then, he suddenly says something so ridiculous that everyone in the audience is forced to sit up in their chairs.

Before long, the house is rolling over with laughter as Don Andre strikes again.

After a string of rib-cracking stand-up performances, Don Andre has distinguished himself as one of hottest young comedians in Uganda.

Who is Don Andre?

Don Andre was born Andrew Odongo and he is an artiste of many parts being a stand-up comedian, story creator, writer, script supervisor, actor and voice over artist.

However, he is best known as a stand-up comedian, a career he began in 2016. Immediately, back then, he hit the ground running by working with production companies like Nabwiso Films (U) Limited, a top Ugandan film Production Company.

This bright dawn to a fair-weather career convinced Don to do a half-hour Comedy Special in 2019. And since then, he has worked with major comedy platforms in East Africa including Pablo Live, Comedy Files, Another Comedy Club, Stand-up Collective (Kenya), Seka Live (Rwanda), Comedy Store Ug among others.

Don Andre takes aim at the gut, and never misses Pulse

He has performed at different comedy festivals around Africa like Simuka Comedy Festival (Zimbabwe), Nairobi Comedy Festival (Kenya) and Kampala Comedy Festival (Uganda).

Don, or The Don, is currently writing for comedienne Anne Kansiime alongside running a stand-up comedy platform called “Chalk on Jokes” whose focus is on promoting mental health among young people by using the redemptive power of humour.

“Chalk on Jokes” has seen him perform in educational institutions, including a nursery school that was inside a church.

As a child, Don attended Kiswa Primary School, St Kizito Senior Secondary-Bugolobi, Bishop Cipriano Kihangire Secondary School and Kyambogo University.

“I grew up in Nakawa Quarters, which doesn’t exist now,” he says.

“[I realized I had something] when my family and friends always laughed so hard at my stupid statements and could say ‘why don’t you try comedy, you’re funny,’” he adds.

After which, he dropped the dockside comedian routine in favour of mining the golden depths of the stand-up comedy stage. And, he has never looked back.

Today, he’s a bona fide comedy star.

“Every time I perform, the highlight of my career gets higher, being on stage gives me so much joy, and now that I travel to preach comedy to other countries [this] makes me the happiest,” he reveals.

Being a humble funny man, Don hasn’t forgotten those whose shoulders he stood on to rise to the heights of a soaring career.

“Daniel Omara inspires me because he makes comedy seem like a course that never ends, puts in a lot of thoughts to a joke, then I also admire Trevor Noah,” he shares.

Although he has achieved a lot in the last six years, he promises even more.

“Don Andre is here to stay, my future plans of course include having kids, making a positive impact in the comedy industry for the younger generation, being wealthy and filling everyone’s world with my comedy,” he insists, before adding, “Don Andre is made in Uganda for the world.”

Slowly but certainly, Don Andre has become part of a new generation of Ugandan comedians convincing legions of fans that funny Ugandan comics are not a novelty, but a wave of the future.