Ugandan comedians on DStv

By Nigel Nassar

Remember Stand-up Uganda, that 2010 comedy show that M-Net shot on our own turf and showcased our comedians to DStv audiences across Africa?   

It is what introduced us to the now celebrated new generation of comedians like Daniel Omara, Patrick Idringi, Alex Muhangi and Museveni impressionist Herbert Mendo Segujja. It also saw Kenneth “Pablo” Kimuli walk away sh24m richer after winning the season’s search for Uganda’s funniest comedian.  

Now comedy is a serious profession (pun intended) in Uganda. While you mull at Stand-Up Uganda, Comedy Club: Live in Kampala, a similar M-Net show is here.  This time though, you will not need to spend your hard-earned airtime to vote for the winner; it’s not a competition this time. 

According to organisers, Comedy Club: Live in Kampala seeks to showcase Ugandan comedy talent across Africa for the markets out there to look at hiring from here. 

The show, which has previously been filmed in Lagos and Mombasa, premiered on January 3 on M-Net (DStv Channel 101) and will be showing Mondays at 9:00pm. The show’s first episode aired on Monday.

And boy, oh boy, those two Ugandan dudes, Bright Amanya and Bob Nuwagira, sure had their thing together. Their rib-cracking skits had all the journalists who turned up for the show’s launch party at Faze2 rolling down in laughter. 

On the show, in each episode, two comedians an up-and-coming one and a well-established one go head-to-head. And there’s a full list of them to last us 13 episodes. A few months ago, the show, hosted by former Big Brother contestant Gaetano Kaggwa, invited comedians from Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda to Kampala to do their thing while the cameras rolled. 

The call turned up lots of interesting ‘jokers’, who will entertain us over the coming months for an hour every episode, also featuring a live band performance by Magic Hornz and a segment where Gaetano interviews the comedians. 

From Uganda, look out for Deo Ojambo, Cotilda, St. Freak, Anne Kansiime, Tindi, Conan, Sam Okello, Kiziito Makanga, Emmanuel Sebakaje and Prince Ehmah. Also featured are Daniel Omara, Patrick Idringi, Alex Muhangi, Herbert Mendo and Pablo; all participants in the 2010 series Stand-Up Uganda. Upcoming shows will feature British comedian Kevin J, Kenya’s Maurice Ochieng, JB, John Kibet, Sande Bush, Othol Othuol and Bob Nkosha from Zambia, Herve Kimenyi from Rwanda and Tanzanian Evans Bukuku. 

Tune in to X FM (94.8) and Urban Television to answer questions about and win great prizes from the comedy show.