Esteri Tebandeke the magnificent

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WHAT’S UP!

Never has the All Saints’ Cathedral in Nakasero, Kampala, rung with so much laughter as it did yesterday afternoon. Yes, there were a lot of creative people, and not a few comedians, including the MC, Pablo Kimuli. But they were not there for a performance, rather the celebration of the life of Esteri Apolot Tebandeke, one of Uganda’s finest actresses.

Funeral services are usually sombre affairs, but this was filled with joy. It was obvious the family that had bred and given life to Esteri, every single one of them, from the adoptive mother to the siblings, could have ruled whatever stage they wanted.

Esteri succumbed to kidney disease on Monday, after a long and protracted battle with the disease, which included a stint in India for treatment and a kidney transplant.

Born on May 16, 1984, in Kampala, Esteri lost her father, James Omongole, at a young age. She was then brought up by her adoptive parents, Tom and Petua Omongole. She went to Shimoni Primary School, Iganga Secondary School (O’level), and St Joseph’s Girls SSS, Nsambya (A’level). She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in industrial and fine art from Makerere University.

Esteri was known for her captivating performances in films like Queen of Katwe (2016), Sins of the Parents (2008), and Master on Duty (2009). Her talent and dedication to her craft earned her recognition and acclaim within the Ugandan entertainment industry.

Beyond her impressive filmography, Esteri was a passionate advocate for African women’s stories in cinema. She founded the Binti Film Festival, a platform dedicated to promoting and showcasing the work of women filmmakers.

There is a stereotype of actors in Uganda, that they are loud, flamboyant, self-absorbed, and like to seem larger than life. Because we see them on stage or on the screen, we expect them to be that way. But Esteri was nothing like that.

In November 2021, at the tail end of the COVID-19 lockdown, I went to watch the Tebere Foundation’s production of Doreen Baingana’s award-winning short story, Tropical Fish. Directed by Sarah Nansubuga and Mshai Mwangola, it was held at both the Ndere Centre and the Carnival Restaurant in Naguru, Kampala. I caught the very last show at the Carnival (incidentally, both Ndere Centre and the Carnival are no more).

It was both exhilarating and absorbing to watch a live performance after almost two years, and I remember that, because of the standard operating procedures restrictions, only 20 people were allowed in, and we all had to keep our masks on for the hour-and-a-half duration. But it was all worth it.

Solo performances are a real test of an actor’s ability, and Baingana’s exploration of girls’ roles as sex objects wasn’t strictly made for theatre. But Esteri pulled it off brilliantly, and I was excited to have a chat with her afterwards. But she was nowhere to be seen. I thought actors loved being acclaimed after a performance like that? Nansubuga just laughed, but got me Esteri’s number, so we could chat about her performance.

I got to watch Esteri perform several more times, including what was probably her last one, last year, as Linda in Lloyd Lutara’s play, Rope, at the National Theatre (strange, but I don’t remember her in Queen of Katwe, I’ll have to watch it again).

But what really blew me away was her short film, The Little Black Dress. I first watched it when it was part of the exhibition, Njabala: This is Not How, at the Margaret Trowell School of Fine Art Gallery in 2022.

The film was everything that most Ugandan films are not, in the storytelling, but mostly in the acting. I was surprised it did not win many more awards than it did, and probably deserved an Oscar, to boot.

Again, Esteri wasn’t available to discuss her work. But I guess the health issues to which she eventually succumbed meant she couldn’t.

Esteri was also a skilled dancer and had performed with various dance companies in Uganda, including Keiga Dance Company and Stepping Stones Dance Company.

I’ve been to funeral services where the speeches go on forever, and one wishes they would stop. But not yesterday, in fact, we wished they would go on telling us about this person everyone referred to as ‘magnificent’.

Looking at the photograph that was in front of the casket, I felt an overwhelming sense of loss, and regret that I never did get to have that fireside chat with her.

Rest in power, Esteri, your legacy will live on the countless young artists and actresses you inspired. And your memory through your work, family and the countless lives you touched.

You can follow Kabuye on X @KalungiKabuye