'Ceasefire in Luwero' play rekindling memories, political debates

LUWERO - A thought-provoking stage play titled Ceasefire is travelling across the Luwero Triangle, the historic battlefield where the National Resistance Army (NRA) waged the guerrilla war that toppled the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) government of Dr Apollo Milton Obote.

Nearly four decades later, the same landscape is hosting a new kind of contest - one of ideas, history, and political introspection.

Performed in trading centres, school compounds and community halls, Ceasefire opens with a chorus of provocative lines familiar in today’s political debates: “Mugende, twakowa!” (Go, we are tired!) and “Tubakoye!” (We are fed up!). These sentiments mirror frustrations of some citizens who feel the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), in power since 1986, has overstayed its welcome.

The lines directly question the NRM’s 2026 campaign slogan, “Protect Your Gains,” with characters rhetorically asking what those gains are and whether ordinary people feel them.

The 90-minute drama, written by Operation Wealth Creation co-ordinator Gen. Salim Saleh, blends satire, history and community storytelling.

It resurrects the legacies of early political icons such as Ignatius Kangave Musazi, regarded as the father of organised politics in Uganda, and Chief Samwiri Mukasa, a traditional leader who fiercely opposed the colonial-era hut tax.

They are hailed for knowing the taste of victory and defeat in equal proportions.
Abbey Mukiibi Senkubuge - one of the lead actors - explains the economic hardships of that era as part of the narrative.

“People in Luwero had no money,” he says as he slips into character. “They planted the food they ate and bartered for what they did not have. Then the colonialists came with the hut tax, and later coins, which disrupted our evolution by introducing foreign religions, foreign lifestyles and new demands.”

The play recounts how Chief Mukasa bravely challenged colonial administrators by asking them to provide cotton seeds, enabling farmers to grow cash crops and earn the money needed to pay the imposed hut tax.

Through this innovation, rural households later accumulated income, bought bicycles and acquired household utensils sold by Asian traders.

Factory staff crowd the stage for a photo moment with Ceasefire author Gen. Salim Saleh. (Credit: Titus Kakembo)

This historical lesson forms the backbone of one of the play’s central messages: that communities should seek practical solutions to their challenges instead of focusing solely on political blame.

“Like Mukasa, we must find our own answers,” declares the lead character. “No one - government or opposition - will put food on your table. You have to work, innovate and strive for a better life.”

The production is richly infused with creative traditional dance, live music and a vibrant chorus that draws the audience into the performance.

Spectators often clap, sing along and later engage in animated discussions about their political leanings, their expectations and whether the promises of the liberation struggle have been fulfilled.

Another significant theme is the transformation of Kapeeka, once a war-ravaged frontline, into a fast-growing industrial hub.

The play celebrates the arrival of factories, piped water, electricity and tarmacked roads that now connect the area to markets across the Great Lakes region. This infrastructure has turned Kapeeka into a magnet for business and employment.

A highlight in the script is the dry fruit processing factory that has become one of the region’s economic engines. Ironically, it constantly struggles to meet demand because it cannot secure enough pineapples and mangoes to run at full capacity.

Farmers are now being encouraged to plant more fruit trees to tap into the booming market.

Today, over 5,000 youth are directly employed in the Kapeeka Industrial Park, while an estimated 30,000 others earn livelihoods through supply chains, transport, hospitality and trade.

For a region whose name once evoked images of war and displacement, this transformation is nothing short of remarkable.

In the end, Ceasefire is more than a play. It is a mirror held up to society - a reminder of where Uganda has come from, and a questioning of where it is heading.

By blending humour, history and hard truths, the production invites Luwero residents to reflect on their past, critique their present and imagine a better future.