Madrat and Chiko are calling on the Ugandan government to consider rewarding veteran creatives with tokens of appreciation or gratuity while they are still alive and able to benefit from the support.
The comedy duo made the appeal during the burial ceremony of veteran Ugandan creative and playwright Alex Mukulu, arguing that the industry’s pioneers deserve meaningful recognition during their lifetimes—not only after their deaths.
Speaking to the press, Madrat and Chiko said Mukulu’s contribution to Uganda’s creative industry warranted government support while he was still alive.
“The state should appreciate us as creatives at least. Alex Mukulu would have passed on when the government had given him a token of appreciation or gratuity to enjoy life,” the duo said.
They questioned the value of providing an official or dignified send-off to a creative after death when similar recognition could have been extended during that person’s lifetime.
“So it doesn’t make any sense even when he is accorded a decent, honorable, and official send-off,” they added.
The comedians also broadened their appeal beyond Mukulu, urging the government to identify and support other veteran creatives who helped shape Uganda’s entertainment industry.
Among those they mentioned were legendary figures Andrew Benon Kibuuka, Charles James Ssenkubuge and John Segawa, among others.
“The government has to appreciate the legendary artists and creatives who helped shape this industry, like Andrew Benon Kibuuka, Charles James Ssenkubuge, and John Segawa, among others,” they said.
For Madrat and Chiko, the issue is not simply about financial assistance. They believe lifetime recognition would give veteran creatives an opportunity to actually benefit from the appreciation attached to their years of work.
Their comments came at a particularly emotional moment for Uganda’s creative community, as colleagues and admirers gathered to bid farewell to Mukulu.
The duo’s message was therefore straightforward: if the government considers veteran creatives important enough to receive official recognition after their deaths, they should also be considered worthy of support while they are still here to experience it.
The appeal now puts the spotlight on how Uganda recognises the creatives who helped build its entertainment industry—and whether that recognition should begin long before the funeral.