Pablo bags sh23m
May 25, 2009
Moments before Kenneth “Pablo†Kimuli was named winner of Stand Up Uganda, M-Net’s search for Uganda’s funniest stand-up comedian, the 30-year-old stood with baited breath at the Theatre La Bonita podium, staring blankly.
By Nigel Nassar
Moments before Kenneth “Pablo†Kimuli was named winner of Stand Up Uganda, M-Net’s search for Uganda’s funniest stand-up comedian, the 30-year-old stood with baited breath at the Theatre La Bonita podium, staring blankly.
He could not keep eye contact with the revellers, a full house that turned up for the Friday evening finale of Uganda’s first-ever serialised DStv show.
Curtain-raising acts by evicted contestants, mentor Al Prodgers and Stand Up Zambia winner Bob Nkosha did not seem to take away fans’ anxiety to know who would bag the staked sh23m.
I could have sworn I heard Pablo’s heartbeat rave past those of fellow finalists; Daniel Omara and Patrick Idringi, who shared the same podium.
“And the winner is…Pablo,†came M-Net East Africa programme manager’s voice, Wangeci Murage, followed by a shriek of ululation from Pablo’s equally excited and happy fans.
Pablo could not hide his excitement. He jumped up high, screaming as though he had been awakened from a stupor.
He won 42.84% of the overall audience vote. Even Patrick, the first runner-up, forgot his own loss and joined in the excitement, after all he had not lost completely, for he and second runner-up Daniel, got $2000 each (sh4.5m) as consolation prize.
Pablo said his win did not come easy. “Preparing my jokes always proved hard. I had many nice jokes people had already heard before in my Theatre Factory shows,†Pablo says.
“Coming up with new material, I kept wondering whether I would meet the audience’s high expectations of me.†Pablo’s night climaxed with a contestants’ dinner at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel, where he proved that he is a true entertainer with his nursery-rhyme-inspired rap renditions.
Klear Kut and Blu*3 honoured his win with vigorous performances. Throughout the 11 weeks that the show ran, sh13m was collected from ticket sales.
Added to another sh2m topped up by Multichoice Uganda, the cumulative sh15m was donated to two charities; Dwelling Places Ministries and Miles2Smiles.
Moments before Kenneth “Pablo†Kimuli was named winner of Stand Up Uganda, M-Net’s search for Uganda’s funniest stand-up comedian, the 30-year-old stood with baited breath at the Theatre La Bonita podium, staring blankly.
He could not keep eye contact with the revellers, a full house that turned up for the Friday evening finale of Uganda’s first-ever serialised DStv show.
Curtain-raising acts by evicted contestants, mentor Al Prodgers and Stand Up Zambia winner Bob Nkosha did not seem to take away fans’ anxiety to know who would bag the staked sh23m.
I could have sworn I heard Pablo’s heartbeat rave past those of fellow finalists; Daniel Omara and Patrick Idringi, who shared the same podium.
“And the winner is…Pablo,†came M-Net East Africa programme manager’s voice, Wangeci Murage, followed by a shriek of ululation from Pablo’s equally excited and happy fans.
Pablo could not hide his excitement. He jumped up high, screaming as though he had been awakened from a stupor.
He won 42.84% of the overall audience vote. Even Patrick, the first runner-up, forgot his own loss and joined in the excitement, after all he had not lost completely, for he and second runner-up Daniel, got $2000 each (sh4.5m) as consolation prize.
Pablo said his win did not come easy. “Preparing my jokes always proved hard. I had many nice jokes people had already heard before in my Theatre Factory shows,†Pablo says.
“Coming up with new material, I kept wondering whether I would meet the audience’s high expectations of me.†Pablo’s night climaxed with a contestants’ dinner at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel, where he proved that he is a true entertainer with his nursery-rhyme-inspired rap renditions.
Klear Kut and Blu*3 honoured his win with vigorous performances. Throughout the 11 weeks that the show ran, sh13m was collected from ticket sales.
Added to another sh2m topped up by Multichoice Uganda, the cumulative sh15m was donated to two charities; Dwelling Places Ministries and Miles2Smiles.