The crisis that is National Theatre

He joined UNCC in 2014 with a human resource background.

Then, artistes hailed him as a saviour whose grand plans would help save the arts and the ailing theatre.

Today, Ojede is the talk of the arts but for the wrong reasons.

Recently, he launched a grand plan to redevelop the almost 60-year- old facility.

The new plan, according to Ojede, will have two 20-storey buildings constructed on the plot currently occupied by the parking lot. It will also have three theatres sitting about 6,000 spectators. Also, Ojede says the UNCC development plan would improve art with the inclusion of a commercial parking lot that will cater for over 1,000 vehicles and office space.

The plans has been challenged by members of the arts fraternity who accused Ojede and the UNCC management of not consulting them when allegedly ‘selling’ off the premises for redevelopment as well as ‘not having arts at heart’.

Led by playwright and actor Phillip Luswata, artistes staged a #SaveTheNationalTheatre campaign protest demanding the resignation of Ojede and his team.

But Ojede stood firm, saying the ‘National Theatre, has not been sold or is being sold.’
“Nothing is for sale or has been sold. UNCC and the government are planning to re-develop the theatre under Public Private Partnership (PPP) Act of 2015,” Ojede said.

No developer is in place, according to Ojede although he proudly showed off copies of a blue print for the redevelopment to the media.
He is supported by the Minister of Gender and Culture, Peace Mutuuzo, who said the land on plots two, four and six where UNCC would only be leased to a developer to “build own and transfer.” The transfer would return the facility to government after redeveloper regains what they spent on the project.

Artistes’ petition
But artistes are not convinced. At a meeting convened to find a way forward, several artistes agreed to sign a petition against the redevelopment to be presented to the Speaker of Parliament at a date yet to be announced.

They also agreed that instead of government giving up the theatre under PPP, it is best as a National Public Partnership with artistes making contributions as was the case in the 1950’s. In the 1950’s, artistes contributed 20,000 pounds towards the construction of the National Theatre which opened on December 2, 1959.

The artistes also said their research findings estimate that for the investor to recoup “$116 billion (Shs393trillion) investment for the redevelopment, it would require 20 or more years and another 20 years to enjoy profits.

“Thus for 50 or so years, theatre will be left at the facet of profit makers, and we shall have no say because someone else is putting money,” their report reads.

“We want the expansion yes, but we want to advise what kind of expansion and be partners in any decisions,” argues Luswata.

Another practitioner, Charles Batambuze says of the meeting with Mutuuzo on September 2; “She came to tell us what they want to do, so that we insert what we think is missing as opposed to consulting us from the very beginning.”
“There are minutes from December 7, 2015 that claim artistes attended and agreed to redevelopment plans which is not true.”

The artistes say they are willing to spearhead a campaign to collect the money needed to reconstruct the theatre, but basing on the original plan from the 1950’s which has provisions for expansion.

Conspiracy to destroy theatre?
Plans to sell off or supposedly redevelop the theatre started in 2008, according to Batambuze.
“The theatre would have been sold off a long time ago. So they have been killing it silently because once it is dilapidated enough it can be taken over by a capitalistic private developers,” he shares.
At the time, Batambuze and a team of artistes met the Permanent Secretary (PS) to advice against the plans. They were commissioned by the PS to research how to improve the theatre.
“A review of the UNCC Act was started, yet before any resultant finding on any of these, plans to build twin towers are presented in haste,” Batambuze says.

Kalundi Serumaga, a former director of the theatre believes “they want to get hold of the land titles and use them to borrow money. Default on the loans and fail to pay back, and once they convince the nation that they have no money to clear the developer, then we lose the theatre.”
He was speaking during a meeting with artistes last month.

This has all together been a gradual premeditated process to rundown the theatre.

Ojede has been pinned for being pivotal in the dilapidation of the theatre. While the facility has no lighting on stage, poor quality sound, the seats and toilets dilapidated, Ojede earns more than Shs4 million per month.

Serumaga who acted on the National Theatre stage in 1962 revealed that when he was executive director of the facility, he earned Shs500,000 which the board later saw fit to increase to Shs900,000. Despite their management of about four people, the theatre was more progressive compared to Ojede’s management with over 16 people.
Serumaga also believes there is no plan to put up a new building.

“There seems to be uncoordinated troop movement because the ministry is unsure of the form of the structure they intend to build. Some members claim 14 floors, other say it is 20 floors high,” he says.

He is supported by Julius Lugaaya, director of Dance Week.

“They have failed to manage a 300 seater theatre and expect to man three sitting more than 6,000? Besides, the redevelopment plans speak of sky crappers but there is no mention of dance studios, green room or other vital spaces for the arts within a theatre. How will they manage traffic generated from more than 6,000 people in a city that is already congested?”

Losing History and heritage

The Uganda National Theatre was the first of its kind in East Africa and the continent.

And Francis Ojede confirms that the Kenyan National Theatre and its acoustics were planned basing on the original plan of Uganda’s theatre.
Uganda Film Festival award winning actor Kudzu Isaac says: “Even the Britain colonial masters built their theatre after the success of this one”.

There is a strong heritage and culture that needs to be protected. Besides Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s first play the Black Hermit to celebrate Uganda’s independence was staged at this theatre.
Celebrated Poet Okot P Bitek was part and parcel in the formation of this historical monument shaped in the form of a piano.

The land upon which the facility was built belonged to Edwin Wich, who entrusted government to take over. So the land belongs to the Uganda Land Commission that even the Ministry of Gender has no authority over it. Artistes thus argue that choosing to do what they wish with that should be interrogated.

Earlier this year, the Kenyan government renovated and refurbished their national theatre to fit a state of the art facility. They did not construct over towering buildings, rather, renewed what was old.

“I think it sends a strong signal that the Kenyan government is ready to embrace an arts and culture that speaks for the people,” says Mukoma who visited for a lecture at Uganda National Theater and at Makerere University last year.

Recommendations
As opposed to demolition, stakeholders need to consider the cultural impact assessment (what losing the old theatre means historically?) geographical analysis (can that land withstand the twin towers and not destroy everything else within location), along with finance and maintenance projections.

Theatre belongs to all the people not just the city elite. So instead of encroaching on the land and destroying the historical monument and heritage - UNCC should construct new cultural centres and theatres across the country in “Kaberamaido, Kotido...We need to extend the voice of theatre,” argued Hiphop artiste MC Ugly resounding artistes in unison.

The minister offended the artistes when she said they need to find jobs and not always be in the front line advocating for theatre. Theatre is their work as artists, their livelihood survives on theatre. Therefore, artistes need to make themselves more economically viable, using their work to generate more incomes. This is possible if they are included and accorded duty to participate decision making on matters that concern them and the industry.

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