Pride Of Entebbe

The Sound of Soul & Memory, Remembering Our Fallen Pride of Entebbe Followers & Friends

It’s a Golden tribute this Sunday, join us by the lake for a deeply special event. The Pride Of Entebbe’s 8th session of "Golden Oldies by the Lake" at *lido Beach Entebbe*, 6th Sept 2026 is dedicated to remembering our dear brothers and sisters from Pride of Entebbe who have been part of our monthly gatherings plus following us daily.

This will be a truly authentic musical experience, featuring strictly vinyl (amayinja) records.

Let the warmth of the analog sound and the timeless melodies transport us back to cherished moments spent with friends who are no longer with us.

ALL ARE WELCOME Come, be part of this heartfelt celebration. Together, let’s honor the lives of our fallen followers by doing what they loved most listening to great music in great company.

We Are Entebbe

A Pride of Entebbe follower proudly representing her hometown in an Entebbe Edition T-shirt “If Found Lost, Return Me to Entebbe’’ during the just-concluded NottingHill Carnival 2026 in the UK.

A little piece of Entebbe, proudly carried all the way to London. Because home is not just a place it is a feeling we carry wherever we go.

And this is the beauty of the Entebbe Edition wherever you find an Entebbean, you find a little piece of home.

We Are Entebbe

FLYING WITH THE ANGELS ON YOUR BIRTHDAY

August 27th your birthday, but this time, in heaven above. I send my belated blessings on the wings of a dove, not only for today, but for every day hereafter. We think of you always our friend, brother, uncle, guardian and helper.

Charles Dickens Okua passed away on August 16th, 2026, in Entebbe, just eleven days before his birthday. Today marks 11 days since you left us. We once celebrated together at many of the Pride of Entebbe annual reunions, both in and out of Entebbe. As I try to wrap my head around another birthday without you, I am overwhelmed by memories of what it was like leading up to your special day.

Charles was a proud follower of Pride of Entebbe from day one. He loved the Entebbe Edition T-shirts and owned most of them. Those shirts became part of his signature presence during
Pride Of Entebbe’s Golden Oldies by the Lake gatherings at Lido Beach. He wore them with pride, carrying the spirit of Entebbe wherever he went.

Today would have been a day of tidying up glasses, as the oldies played into the evening, while family and friends gathered in the backyard to share cake, laughter and memories with you.

But how do we mark this day for you, Charles Dickens Okua (RIP)?

How do we hide our sadness and grief from our birthday boy?

That question haunts us today.

Charles and I shared a history that went back many years. His late mother, Mrs. Okua, was my Primary English teacher. During the school holidays, their home became my second home, a place where I felt welcome and at ease. Those memories remain deeply rooted in my heart.

Charles also loved my artistry of writing. He was among those who faithfully read my write-ups, appreciating the thoughts, memories and stories I shared. Knowing that he followed my work and valued my writing made our connection even more special.

Perhaps we will find the perfectly appropriate way to acknowledge this special day. Visiting your grave is obvious, though for some, a gravesite can be a sad place. As friends and family, we shall probably cry and laugh there because that is what memories do.

I am sure that someday, we will place a cake on the grass for your first birthday without you. We will play Golden Oldies, especially the songs from your generation. And perhaps a few ladies who knew you well will release balloons into the sky while singing, “Happy Birthday,” beside your resting place.

It will mean more than you could ever imagine.

We will reflect on our childhood days in Entebbe, our escapades, our memorable moments at Lido Beach Entebbe, and those beautiful Oldtymers gatherings where we reminisced about the very best of the Golden Oldies.

For a moment, we will laugh, have some fun and take our minds away from the immense sadness of losing you.

Yes, your birthday is today, but it hurts knowing that you are no longer here.

All of us would want to send you a message, a gift, perhaps even a birthday hug. But we know we cannot.

So, we will simply make a wish upon a star that wherever you are, you carry with you the love, laughter and memories we shared here on earth.

And as I put my pen down today, I realise that some stories are never truly finished. They simply become memories that we continue to tell.

Charles, your story with us has not ended; it has only entered another chapter one written in memories, laughter, friendship and love. As a writer, I have told many stories about Entebbe and its people, but today, this is one story I wish I never had to write.

I will remember you not by the silence your departure has left behind, but by the laughter, the Golden Oldies, the Entebbe Edition shirts, the gatherings and the beautiful moments that made you part of our story.

Rest peacefully, my friend. Your chapter may have closed, but your story will continue to live in the hearts of those who knew you—and in the memories of Entebbe that we shall keep telling.

Happy Earth Strong Day in heaven, Charles Dickens Okua.

Until we meet again, keep flying with the angels.

Nyakaana Charles
Artistic Writer | Curator | Rotarian
Pride of Entebbe

Keep flying with the angels.

Alex Mukulu The Mentor Who Challenged My Art

Some photographs capture a moment, but others capture an entire chapter of one’s journey. This is one of those photographs for me standing on stage with Alex Mukulu an artist whose contribution to Uganda’s theatre and creative arts deserves to be celebrated.

My connection with the arts began long before I fully understood where the journey would take me.

As I was growing up, South Africa was still in the era of apartheid, and I became deeply fascinated by South African theatre, literature and the arts. I was drawn to how artists used creative expression to tell stories, preserve identity, confront injustice and give a voice to their people.

One of the artists who particularly fascinated and inspired me was Mbongeni Ngema,(RIP) the South African writer, playwright and lyricist. His work, particularly Sarafina!, demonstrated to me the extraordinary power of theatre to tell the story of a people and reflect the realities of society.

Years later, that fascination came full circle when, during my visits to South Africa as a curator from Entebbe, I had the opportunity to visit Soweto and Johannesburg, including locations associated with Sarafina! during my South African museum visits. It was a powerful experience moving from reading about the artists and places that inspired me to physically standing in some of those spaces.

While in secondary school, I was not only a Literature student; I was already an active performer.

My acting on stage took me to different schools across Uganda and Kenya, where we performed mini theatrical productions. The stage became a second home to me.

While other students looked forward to school holidays as a time to rest, my school holidays were often rehearsals. I spent much of that time preparing dance movements, practicing lines, developing characters and getting ready for the next performance.

Those experiences taught me discipline at a very young age. They taught me that theatre requires commitment, teamwork, preparation and the courage to stand before an audience and tell a story.

At the same time, my fascination with African literature was growing. As a Literature student, I immersed myself in the works of African writers, dramatists and playwrights, including Wole Soyinka, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Catherine Obianuju Acholonu.

Their works shaped how I understood African identity, culture, history, society and the human experience. They taught me that the written word could entertain, challenge, preserve memory and provoke thought.

Shortly after high school before joining university , I would go to now defunct
Pride Theatre to watch my maternal uncle, Charles James Senkubuge a.k.a Siasa, perform with the Bakayimbira Dramactors. Watching him on stage brought theatre even closer to home.

I later reconnected with my childhood friend from Entebbe, Also a namasagali product Julius Lugaya, an Artistic Director of Dance Week Uganda and a choreographer with Footsteps Theatre Dance Company, Our creative work at the time took us to different places, and I was fortunate to receive an invitation with the Sundance Institute.

At Sundance institute , another Entebbe childhood connection came alive. I met Philip Luswata, an Ugandan playwright and actor and one of the people behind Theatre Factory. I also reconnected with my maternal uncle, Charles Senkubuge.

It was through Philip Luswata, a protégé of Alex Mukulu, that I was eventually introduced to Alex.

And that introduction would become an important turning point in my artistic journey.

Alex Mukulu came to know my work, but he did not receive it with empty praise.

He was a man of heavy critique.

Some of my contemporary theatre productions at the time were subjected to his sharp assessment, and his criticism made me rethink the direction I was taking.

Rather than simply continue producing work for the stage, I began to shift my focus towards writing.

That change became one of the most significant decisions in my creative journey.

Over time, Alex embraced my writing, particularly my use and command of the English language. He challenged me to understand my work more deeply and mentored me on how best to own my work to make the work truly mine.

That is one of the lessons from Alex that I carry with me to this day.

Own your work. Know what you are saying. Understand your craft.

That was Alex who hated material things too.

He had a strong artistic conviction and expected you to defend your work with substance.

Yet there was another side of Alex that I particularly loved.

Off stage, he was always apologetic.

There was a humility in his stage presence that stood out to me. Behind the strong artistic personality and uncompromising critique was an artist who understood the discipline and responsibility of performance.

Bringing Alex Mukulu’s work home to Entebbe later come full circle through Pride of Entebbe.

As the Artistic Director and writer for Pride Of Entebbe, I was deeply involved in telling the story of Entebbe showcasing its rich history, heritage, culture and people to the rest of the world.

As we approached Pride of Entebbe’s 8th anniversary, I wanted the celebration to go beyond simply looking back at our achievements. I wanted to bring something meaningful to Entebbe’s cultural and artistic space.

Through Alex Mukulu’s protégé, Philip Luswata, I proposed an idea: why not bring Alex Mukulu’s celebrated play, 30 Years of Bananas, to Entebbe?

The response was immediate.

It was a done deal.

Then came January 2020.

For the first time, Entebbe began seeing flyers and posters announcing 30 Years of Bananas by Alex Mukulu.

The excitement was building towards 21st and 22nd February 2020, when the play was scheduled for a two-night presentation at Central Inn Annex, Entebbe, as part of Pride of Entebbe’s 8th anniversary celebrations.

It was not a small undertaking.

More than a cast of 60 all where involved in bringing the production to life actors, actresses, photographers, videographers, sound engineers and other creatives, all coming together in Entebbe.

30 Years of Bananas a classic play written by the legendary Alex Kabangala Mukulu and directed by his protégé Philip Kafuluma Luswata came to Entebbe as a major cultural moment.

It was presented as a grand Ugandan theatrical masterpiece: a rich drama full of symbolism and imagery, raising more questions than it answered.

For me, bringing this work to Entebbe was more than programming a theatre production. Still today the play is still memorable to the young and the old that watched the play.

It was personal.

It was a way of connecting the different worlds that had shaped me theatre, literature, heritage, Entebbe and the artists who had influenced my journey.

The same Alex Mukulu who had once challenged my contemporary theatre work was now having his celebrated work presented in my hometown, through an initiative I was helping to shape as part of Pride of Entebbe on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X) , TikTok and WhatsApp.

That was a full-circle moment.

Today, the journey has taken me far beyond the stages where I began.

Writing, producing and directing have taken me to Europe, Asia and across some parts of Africa, creating opportunities to collaborate with artists, theatre practitioners, creatives and cultural communities from different parts of the world.

These journeys have taught me that theatre has no borders. A story may be born in Entebbe, but through collaboration it can travel across continents, meet different audiences and create new conversations.

Every production, every collaboration and every journey continues to add another layer to my understanding of the arts.

And when I look back, I can trace some of those steps to the people who challenged and shaped me along the way

On Saturday, 15 August 2026, Uganda lost one of its distinctive voices in theatre and the creative arts. Alex Mukulu passed away at the age of 72.

For those of us who encountered Alex, his legacy will not simply live in the plays he wrote or the stages he graced. It will live in the people he challenged, mentored, inspired and pushed to take their craft seriously.

I will also remember Alex and his guitar.

The guitar was part of his signature another expression of the musician and artist within him. There was something unmistakably Alex about seeing him with his guitar: a reminder that his creativity was never confined to one discipline. Theatre, writing, music, performance and storytelling existed within the same artistic spirit.

Alex could challenge you with his words, critique your work and make you rethink your artistic direction but he also had the ability to pick up that guitar and let the artist speak through another language: music.

That was Alex Mukulu, theatre practitioner, writer, performer, musician, mentor and uncompromising custodian of his craft.

His passing leaves a space in Uganda’s creative community, but his work and influence will continue to speak.

And then came this photograph pictured above, When I look at this photograph of Alex Mukulu and me on stage many years ago at the playwrights club, I don’t simply see two people standing together.

I see a journey.

I see a young student travelling across Uganda and Kenya to perform mini theatrical productions.

I see school holidays dedicated to rehearsals.

I see South African theatre during the apartheid era.

I see Mbongeni Ngema and Sarafina!.

I see Soweto and Johannesburg.

I see the books of African writers and playwrights that shaped my thinking.

I see Pride Theatre and watching my uncle Charles James Senkubuge perform with Bakayimbira Dramactors.

I see Julius Lugaya and the creative journeys we made.

I see Sundance.

I see Philip Luswata — an Entebbe childhood friend who became the bridge that introduced me to Alex.

I see 30 Years of Bananas arriving in Entebbe, decades after Alex created it — a classic Ugandan work finding a new audience in the very community I have spent years telling stories about.

And I see Alex Mukulu the artist who challenged my work, redirected my focus, embraced my writing and taught me to own my craft.

Today, I am thankful.

Thankful for the critique. Thankful for the lessons. Thankful for the introduction. Thankful for the mentorship. Thankful for the opportunity to bring his work to Entebbe.

Most importantly, thankful that our paths crossed.

Because sometimes, a photograph is not just a photograph.

Sometimes it is evidence of a journey a journey through art, theatre, literature, friendship, heritage, mentorship and the continuing search for one’s own voice.

Alex, I celebrate you.

May your guitar continue to echo through the stories, stages and artists you inspired.

Rest well, Alex Mukulu. Your stage may have gone quiet, but your work continues to speak.

And to Philip Luswata, I say: thank you for the introduction, for the trust, and for helping create a connection that became an important chapter in my artistic journey.

Looking back now, I understand that meeting Alex was not just another encounter.

It was part of the making of the artist, curator, producer, director and writer I continue to become.

I remain

Charles

Artistic Writer | Curator | Rotarian

Pride of Entebbe
@2026

Entebbe’s Scientist, Author, and Patriarch: The Timeless Footprints of Professor Emmanuel Igwaro Odongo-Aginya

From the labs of Entebbe - Kitooro and the lecture halls of Gulu to the quiet shade of Bugonga trees and the pages of acclaimed novels, one man's remarkable journey through history, faith, and family.

The story of Professor Emmanuel Igwaro Odongo-Aginya is one of resilience, intellect, and profound community impact. Spanning decades of medical research, academic mentorship, literary creation, and quiet philanthropy, his life reads as a testament to a deep commitment to both science and the human spirit.

Long before shaping the minds of future doctors, Professor Odongo-Aginya navigated the turbulent tides of history. Having returned from exile in Zambia in 1980, he stepped back onto Ugandan soil ready to rebuild and serve. He soon joined the Ministry of Health, carving out a respected path at the Virus Research Institute in Entebbe.

A brilliant mind in the laboratory, his academic contributions extended deeply into technical research, notably highlighted by his thesis on Agenda Stains—a subject instantly recognized and valued by fellow laboratory professionals. Even as his career flourished at the national level, his heart remained with everyday people. To bridge the healthcare gap for the residents of Entebbe, he established St. Jude Laboratory in Kitooro, transforming clinical access for the local community.

When most look toward a quiet retirement, Professor Odongo-Aginya chose a new beginning. Upon retiring from his formal public health roles in 2013, he answered the call of academia, joining Gulu University as a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology in the Faculty of Medicine. There, he continues to inspire generations of medical students.

Beyond the microscope and the lecture hall, the Professor possesses a rare creative depth. He is the author of The Devout Woman, a compelling novel that navigates the intricate intersections of Acholi cultural traditions, African traditional religion, and Christian beliefs. He also penned The Director Murdered, showcasing a versatility that bridges rigorous scientific analysis with thoughtful storytelling.

In Entebbe, Professor Odongo-Aginya’s presence is woven into the physical and spiritual landscape of the town. A devoted Catholic, he has long prayed at Bugonga Catholic Church, a sacred space holding his deepest personal memories. It was here, on December 12, 1999, that he wed his beloved late wife, Domitila Rerea. Together, God blessed them with five children.

Walk past Bugonga Catholic Church today, and you will see a living monument to his quiet stewardship: the rows of trees lining the upper roadside space, planted by his own hands to beautify and shade the parish grounds.

His legacy of faith did not stop at planting trees in Entebbe. Driven by a deep spiritual calling, he and his family undertook the monumental task of building St. Jude Church in Omoro. On August 29, 2022, in a joyous ceremony officiated by Bishop Obama of Gulu, the chapel was officially handed over to the Catholic community—a permanent sanctuary for worship and gathering.

The family's deep ties to Entebbe extend into its vibrant cultural pulse as well. Following the local heritage movement, they proudly embrace the
Pride of Entebbe spirit. As a special token of affection, his children gifted him a custom edition Entebbe T-shirt emblazoned with the words, "Someone who loves me bought me this t-shirt in Entebbe," featuring a striking print of Bugonga Catholic Church. Seeing the Professor wearing it with quiet pride bridges his love for his family, his faith, and the historic town he holds so dear.

Pride of Entebbe on Facebook, Twitter (X) , Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp, showcases Entebbe’s rich history, heritage, culture and its people to the rest of the world.

Today whether Prof is examining cellular slides in a lab, lecturing medical students in Gulu, penning thought-provoking novels, or building houses of worship for his community, Professor Emmanuel Igwaro Odongo-Aginya embodies a rare harmony between intellect and empathy. His life remains an enduring gift to Uganda—a blueprint of what it means to serve with both mind and heart.

We Are Entebbe