BIOGRAPHY: The life of Kapere, the comedian who turned ridicule into a career

Yokana Mbuuse, known to audiences as Kapere Lufotose, built a comedy career from the physical features that had exposed him to ridicule. Through Amarula Family, television skits and music videos, he became a familiar face in Uganda’s entertainment industry. (monitor.co.ug⁠)

His journey ended on November 1, 2026, when he died at a hospital in Buddo, Wakiso District. His management confirmed his death, but the cause remained unclear in initial reports. (eagle.co.ug⁠)

Kapere’s childhood involved loss and rejection. According to accounts he shared publicly, his mother died during his infancy, and his grandparents raised him in Nansana. In a January 2025 television interview, he recalled meeting his father while in Primary Three. He said his father warned him against troubling his grandmother and distanced himself from his upbringing. (eagle.co.ug⁠, bigeye.ug⁠)

Ill health also disrupted his education. Kapere told Daily Monitor that a hernia forced him to leave school. He later worked on construction sites before receiving medical help through the Mukisa Foundation in Lungujja. After treatment, he learnt to make keyholders and worked as a gatekeeper at the foundation. (nilepost.co.ug⁠)

His entry into comedy came through a chance meeting with a taxi driver. The driver encouraged him to seek out comedian Allan Mujuni, better known as Amooti, at Jenina’s Bar in Nakulabye.

Amooti gave him a chance on stage. Kapere initially struggled to understand why the audience laughed before he had done much. He soon learnt to use facial expressions, movement and timing to entertain them.

His early skit, Lufotoose, drew on a public dispute between a businessman and a Kadongo Kamu singer. Its success helped establish the name that followed him throughout his career. (monitor.co.ug⁠)

Within Amarula Family, Kapere worked alongside Amooti and Nicholas Mpiirwe, known as Messe Bontwe. Amooti described him as a quick learner who contributed ideas during rehearsals. The reserved newcomer grew into a performer who could engage audiences with a smile, a dance or a gesture.

Kapere also appeared in Robert Kyagulanyi’s music video Mr Money. He played a wealthy man who offered possessions to win a woman’s affection. (monitor.co.ug⁠)

Away from entertainment, Kapere built a family with Lydia Nakandi, also known as Mama Trump. They met during an Amarula Family performance at Queen’s Palace in Jinja. He paid her entrance fee after a bouncer stopped her at the door.

The couple began living together in Makindye in 2013. They later formalised their marriage at Miracle Centre Cathedral in Rubaga.

In a Daily Monitor interview published on February 12, 2026, they discussed the prejudice surrounding their relationship. Kapere credited Nakandi with standing by him. He also spoke about caring for their four children and giving them the paternal support he had missed. (monitor.co.ug⁠)

His relationship with Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, extended into politics. Kapere supported the National Unity Platform and sought a role in local leadership. In June 2025, he collected forms to seek the party’s backing for a councillor position in Makindye. (nilepost.co.ug⁠)

Following his death, Kyagulanyi remembered him as a friend and comrade whose humour eased difficult moments. Kapere’s public life spanned comedy, family and politics, shaped by his determination to earn a living despite rejection and limited schooling. (nilepost.co.ug⁠)