Alex Mukulu burial set for Thursday, site still undetermined

Veteran playwright Alex Mukulu will be buried on Thursday, August 20, 2026, but his family is yet to decide his final resting place, actor Charles James Ssenkubuge has said.

Ssenkubuge,one of the members of the funeral commitee announced the updated funeral programme on Sunday night at Mukulu’s home in Mengo, Kampala.

The announcement settles uncertainty over the burial date after organisers earlier said the family, government and arts fraternity were considering several options.

Thursday had been proposed, while the family had considered Saturday to allow Mukulu’s children abroad to return home. Monday had also been discussed.

Ssenkubuge said some of Mukulu’s children will arrive in Uganda on Monday and others on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, August 18, Mukulu’s body will be taken to the National Theatre, a venue closely associated with his decades-long career.

The body will then return to A-Plus Funeral Management before mourners gather at Mukulu’s Mengo home for a vigil.

“Some of his children who are abroad will arrive on Monday and others on Tuesday. Therefore, let's be here with them through the long night,” Ssenkubuge said.

On Wednesday, August 19, the body will be brought to Mukulu’s home for a requiem service. It will remain there overnight ahead of burial on Thursday.

Ssenkubuge said the burial site remains undecided, but dismissed suggestions of a dispute over where Mukulu should be laid to rest.

“We shall inform you. All sites for the burial are available and he qualifies for either one and there's no disputes on either,” he said.

The latest programme comes as the government joins the family and arts fraternity in preparations for Mukulu’s send-off.

Actor Abbey Mukiibi, a member of the funeral organising committee, earlier said the government had entered discussions with the family because of Mukulu’s contribution to Uganda's creative industry. He described Mukulu as a “national asset” deserving an official send-off.

Organisers have also written to President Yoweri Museveni seeking his involvement in the funeral arrangements. However, details of the government's final role in the burial had not been announced by Monday morning.

A committee bringing together Mukulu’s family, government representatives and members of the arts fraternity is coordinating the funeral. Earlier reports said the committee is chaired by Naomi Themes, with Steven Rwanjezi, Mike Sebalu and Mukulu’s brother Michael serving as deputies.

Mukulu died at Kiruddu National Referral Hospital on Saturday, August 15, aged 72. Mukiibi said he had suffered liver complications.

Born in 1954, Mukulu spent about four decades at the centre of Ugandan theatre as a playwright, actor, musician and director. His works tackled politics, history, culture and social life.

His acclaimed productions included 30 Years of Bananas, Wounds of Africa, Excuse Me Mzungu, Dances with Poverty and Muzukulu wa Kabangala. His Journey to Self-Realisation featured at the opening ceremony of the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala.

The National Theatre, where mourners will pay tribute on Tuesday, played a central role in Mukulu’s career. In 2024, he returned there after a 17-year absence from the stage with Kulunkalu and Kulumbisi, his Ugandan adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. He staged the production free of charge in an effort to revive theatre.