Comedy must address important issues but in a light mood – Pablo

An apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Pablo, born Kenneth Kimuli grew up observing his grandmother, Janet Kagango, a fine dancer and his grandfather, two people he says were hilarious. Later, he would take on their character that as an adult, he kept his workmates in bouts of laughter.

But he wasn’t always a comedian, in fact, he started out in the newsroom at Daily Monitor, under the mentorship of Elizabeth Kameo. When she learnt that he had studied at Namasagali College, a school that was widely known for producing entertainers, she asked him to cover nightlife events such as the Jam Session at the National Theatre.

Please walk me through your hustle to earn your footing in your comedy world?

One day in 2003 in the Musicians Club, Philip Luswata, Frobisha Lwanga and Kwezi Kaganda were locked in a conversation about comedy. They would occasionally go to the club and share their stories with the late Elly Wamala and Jimmy Katumba.

The plan was to turn such stories into sketch comedy skits. I told Kameo about it and she advised me to be part of the developing story. In the picture, was Andrew Ssekajugo so Luswata, Frob, Kaganda, myself and others started performing at some place along Lumumba Avenue in Kampala.

The audience didn’t understand what we were doing. The owner said we were confused. We then went to TLC at George Street, the owner Dr. To had a room that could accommodate theatre performance but was hesitant, he didn’t understand the comedy we were telling him.

It was eight of us performing for three people so it was a show where the performers were more than the audience. It was Frobisha Lwanga, Phillip Luswata, myself, Hannington Bugingo, Veronica Namanda, Richard Tuwangye, Kwezi Kaganda and one Farouk.

We performed seven skits and Dr. To laughed and gave us rice as our first payment.

Philip Luswata came up with an idea of the Invisible Theatre approach where you also come as part of the revellers, get a drink on a table, create a story, and argue about it and end up at the stage acting.

 People liked it and started laughing. Word went around that there were some weird guys at TLC every Thursday. People started coming. By the time, True African, an SMS company, had just been established so Gerald Rutaro could collect customers’ contact numbers who would receive weekly reminders about the show.

Soon, Dr. To started charging 1k and 2k then 3k as entrance fee for revellers. We decided to move to the Green Room at National Theatre where my journey as a stand-up comedian began.

How did the Green Room anchor your stand-up comedy career?

Around that time, Rock Point 256, a radio drama, began. The founders were looking for people who could adopt a language and translate into other languages. Based on my background, I was very good at writing the Runyankole, Rukiga, and Rutooro.

They took me on first as an actor and then a writer. We had rules that if you don’t rehearse on Monday and Tuesday then you can’t act on Thursday. I started missing because of the writing but then I had created a following at the theatre.

I was called in to make rejoinders in-between skits during the Comedy Nites on Thursdays which went well.

Comedy seemed to be opening doors for you…

Yes. With a friend we started a comedy strip called Mental Clinic which he submitted to Power FM and Hannington Muyenje, the manager then liked it and started airing it and before we knew it, he said we need to do a show.

They gave us an evening show on Saturday with Nancy Kacungira. It was called A Show of Organized Confusion. It had no agenda, just talking about anything. When research came out, the evening show was growing.

The manager decided that Nancy and I should move to the morning show. The Programs Director, Belinda Obua, didn’t like my name Kenneth, she thought it didn’t sound like a radio name.

I told her I don’t know any funky names. She was reading a novel and there was a character named Pablo. She suggested that I use that name. The people who attended our comedy at the Theatre Factory then and listened to Power FM started telling me that I sounded like Pablo, I told them it was me and that’s how the name stuck.

What did it mean for a comedian to morph into an air radio presenter?

I needed access to newspapers so that I had enough stories, and you know Uganda is a roll of stories. I used them for my interval skits on Thursday. So, I could prepare for 10 skits with different stories I used to pick from the newspapers.

Those were the days of Temangalo and CHOGM. Also, NTV had just come in and they were looking for local content. They started filming what we were doing at the National Theatre and airing it on TV as Barbed Wire.

And M-Net Stand up Ugandan Competition 2009 happened…

Oh yes. They were looking for the funniest in Uganda. They had been to Zambia and South Africa. I decided to audition. 236 of us auditioned but they only wanted 20. They brought in celebrated stand-up comedians from South Africa to mentor us.

The judges were Abby Mukiibi, Kaaya Kagimu and Joe Parker. They selected 12 of us who went for a two weeks training, before going on to compete. By God’s Grace I managed to win.

How did that competition redefine the art of stand-up comedy in Uganda?

I would say that it curved out stand-up comedy as a separate form of entertainment. The finalists decided to form a group called The Krackers which would meet and perform at Effendys.

They included Salvador, Mendo, Alex Muhangi, Emmanuel Ssebakijje, Daniel Omara and others. In 2009, I started a Pablo Live Show at Open House along Buganda Road. It started with an audience of 27 people.

WBS TV picked interest and started broadcasting the Pablo Live Show. I would host politicians, personalities, musicians and mentoring comedians. Some people were mentored from that space and up to this day I feel bad for Brenda Nakachwa, a girl we had mentored. She was the first and best female stand-up comedian in Uganda by my standards. She died in the Lugogo Bombs with her brother. It was a big loss for us.

 What opportunities did Stand-Up Uganda open for you?

After Stand-Up Uganda, that same year I was invited to Nigeria for Comedy Club Live in Lagos. A lady called Mercia Manin opened the doors for us. I represented Uganda along Makanga Douglas who is now a surgical Doctor and Bob Nuwagira Double Double.

She then took us to the Comedy Club in Mombasa. They liked how crazy we were and we invited them to Uganda. We did a Live Club Comedy in Kampala. Our Mombasa hosts loved what we did so they went back and came back for Live Comedy Club Kampala Part II.

For the second time, they liked what we did and did the Live Comedy show Lagos here in Kampala at Imperial Royale. On the international scene, the show that put me on there was A Night of 1000 Laughs in Kenya in 2011.

I wasn’t meant to participate in this show initially. It was organized by Opa Williams, a Nigerian. Brenda Zobbo, who was part of the agency, gave me a call just days after the show and told me East Africa was missing out, and they had realized that there was a huge Ugandan comedy audience in Kenya so they needed a Ugandan on the line up.

I went to Nairobi late and even found out when the press was done. I don’t even think I was on the posters. Reaching there, because they didn’t know who I was, they told me to curtain raise.

I pulled off my first act and everyone was asking who I was. After the performance, the CNN guy didn’t even wait for the show to end, he started interviewing me, asking me if I had acted elsewhere in the world and I was on edge.

One of the comedians actually had a very bad reception from the audience. They chased him toka toka and asked that organisers bring back the Ugandan guy- Pablo.

I still had some three skits and so I went back with a bang. It was so big. I had never been on CNN. It opened my doors and because of that, I was invited for the Comedy Directors Lab in New York at Lincoln Centre Theatre.

How do you remain relevant in the face of change in technology, use an example of Uncle Mo?

Uncle Mo actually did stand-up comedy, came and did a few clips but I think his strengths were more in technology. If we don’t change, change will change us. I can admit I am technophobic.

My 11-year-old son introduced and taught me tiktok. I didn’t know what reels are but he told that the good thing I have content and he opened up an account for me last year and now I have a big following,

He manages it for me. I only make the videos and he uploads them. We have got to be versatile. I remember when I started the Ensheko Comedy in our language, they attracted more followers than anything else.

I thought it would be tribalistic but the boy told me it’s the space that has not been exploited by technology. We agreed to do one in English and one in the local language to see what will attract much following. I tell you the one we did in the local language attracted five times more than the one in English.

So, we need to embrace technology and then know how it operates. We have many people who are hilarious on social media and attract a large following, so we have no choice, we have to see how we fit in that space.

You have consistently stood out in delivering jokes that are not vulgar. Is this something you purposed from the start?

It’s intentional. Vulgar jokes will definitely attract laughter but will not last the test of time. Investing in vulgar jokes is a sign of laziness because you simply don’t want to research.

Uganda has many stories. There are many things to joke about. I always look for what people will take home apart from laughs? Comedy must address important issues but in a light mood.

We have to use jokes that are sustainable because we have to grow an audience and embrace the duty of parental guidance. When you use clean humour, people will recommend you for events because they are sure that you will keep it clean.

Vulgar comedy is like pornography, people will watch it for their own satisfaction but they won’t recommend it. That explains why I created Pablo and Kids because you have to create a certain generation to help them know that humour is clean.

 What are you cooking?

I work with a foundation which I started with Deborah Asiimwe and Gladys Oyenbot. We are going to create space for mentorship for comedians because even the best dancers leave the stage but they leave behind successors.

We shall be mentoring 12 comedians every year and that’s my give back to the sector. I have written a book called Everything About Nothing. It’s coming out in October as we climax Pablo at 20.

 How have you avoided temptations of money from the government?

It is about asking yourself what is in for you in your journey as a comedian. If I go this way, what will my fans think? There have been campaign offers that we want you to run it for us but I ask myself what do I stand for?

What do you stand for?

I want truth, equality, honesty and fairness. It is very hard for me to engage in a campaign I don’t believe in.

Have you earned from comedy?

I have made a living from comedy to do gigs or emceeing a wedding or function. At the end of the day, it is how I handle my finances. Once you do it with passion, it will bear fruits.

When you are not thinking about comedy, what do you do in your free time?

I play football. I am a very interesting defender who does not want to miss anything. if I miss the ball, at least something else must go. My nickname there is Aguaro, others call me Gattuso.

I play at Panamera with Amateur FC every Tuesday. I love defending. It is in the blood. My brothers actually went professional; Julius Muhame and Julius Mugarura. We are all defenders. We also play in the Chapa league.

What is the Uganda that you would like to see?

Corrupt free, one where I lose my wallet and I know someone will pick it and take it to the police with all its contents. I would like to see a Uganda with a reliable education system, someone studies a degree and knows he is going to work, violence free, a Uganda where people accept constructive rebuke, good roads network, where each one is accepted of who one is.

Invisible theatre

Philip Luswata came up with an idea of the Invisible Theatre approach where you also come as part of the revellers, get a drink on a table, create a story, and argue about it and end up at the stage acting. People liked it and started laughing. Word went around that there were some weird guys at TLC every Thursday. People started coming. By the time, True African, an SMS company, had just been established so Gerald Rutaro could collect customers’ contact numbers who would receive weekly reminders about the show.