RECENTLY, playwright Alex Mukulu was interview by Pidson Kareire on a wide range of issuses, including his clouded relationship. Below are the excerpts:

QUESTION: How many plays have you written?
ANSWER:
I have been writing one play a year since 1977. Those are 29 plays and all have been staged. My plays normally charged audiences yet the plays turn them into good citizens.

Have you ever performed upcountry?
I used to, but these days, my plays have grown from the local level to an international level. My international fans also like my plays so much.

Tell me about your family life?
I have four children, two girls and two boys who are now adults. The last-born has just joined Makerere University; one is studying law in the US, another one has graduated from Kyambogo University in Graphics and Designing, while one is working.

There is a saying that behind every successful man there is a beautiful woman. Is that true?
That is a wrong saying because there are gays. Have you not heard men who marry fellow men? So, that means the saying has been outweighed. I think behind every successful person there is a job well done and not a woman any more.

Who is your wife?
She is called Mrs Mukulu.

Is she a Christian?
Yes, she is. But she has no Christian name, just call her Mrs. Mukulu.

Do you have one wife?
I divorced 15 years ago. I am now single and free. My first wife is now married to another man. I do not think you will be able to talk to her. Her new husband cannot allow her to talk to the press.
Besides, she cannot talk on my behalf.

What part did your wife play in your plays?
None, except giving me trouble.
Now that we are divorced, how does she participate in my plays?

What is your reaction about Domestic Relations Bill?
I think it is a beast we cannot avoid. It is a necessary evil. It is a road we must painfully walk.

What is your best moment in life?
It is when I am alone and silent. I do not hangout, I am too old to hang out. I hang in at home. Anyway, I do not have that luxury of hanging out.

Are all your plays political?
Not necessarily. They are social, economic, political and spiritual. Ugandans are more interested in politics and love-oriented plays, but I don’t have love plays.

What is your position on kingship?
I am a Muganda because I belong to one of the 52 clans of Buganda, which are headed by the Kabaka. Therefore, I am a victim of kingship.

How often do you go to church?
I am always in church because we rehearse in church. Besides, I am a church because the church is not only a building. I am very churchy and I am church. Yes, if to be born-again means to accept that you need help and salvation then I am saved.

What would be your advise to all Ugandans?
I think I would advise them to stop drinking too much.
Ugandans spend a lot of money on alcohol beverages.