Elvania Namukwaya Zirimu (31 August 1938 â€" 31 October 1979) was a
Ugandan poet and dramatist. She formed the Ngoma Players, with the
policy of writing and producing Ugandan plays, and was actively
concerned with the National Theatre. She belonged to the early
generation of English-language Ugandan writers and playwrights that
includes novelist Okello Oculi, playwright John Ruganda, and novelist
Austin Bukenya. Her best-known work is the one-act play Keeping up
with the Mukasas, included in David Cook's 1965 anthology of East
African plays, Origin East Africa.Namukwaya was born at Bussi Island,
Kalangala District in Uganda. She attended high school at King's
College Budo, a coeducational school, where she distinguished herself
as an actor and writer of plays. Namukwaya repeatedly featured in the
school's many theatrical productions. Her early efforts at short-story
writing appeared in the 1960 edition of the school's magazine, The
Bodonian. She proceeded in 1961 to Makerere University for her Diploma
in Education (1962). At Makerere, her play Keeping up with the Mukasas
won the English competition and the original play award in the Ugandan
drama festival.While at Makerere, Namukwaya met and fell in love with
the Ugandan linguist and scholar Pio Zirimu. They married a few years
later. The marriage produced a daughter.In 1963, Namukwaya went to the
University of Leeds where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in
1966. On her return to Uganda, she became a tutor at the teacher's
training college at Kyambogo and later also at Makerere University.
She helped found the Uganda National Choir in 1967. Also that year,
she formed the Ngoma Players with a declared policy of writing and
producing plays in the Ugandan mode, and acted in, or directed, at
least twelve of their productions. From 1971 to 1979, she was active
in the National Cultural Centre, helping to formulate the policy of
the National Theatre (of which she became chair in 1978).
Ugandan poet and dramatist. She formed the Ngoma Players, with the
policy of writing and producing Ugandan plays, and was actively
concerned with the National Theatre. She belonged to the early
generation of English-language Ugandan writers and playwrights that
includes novelist Okello Oculi, playwright John Ruganda, and novelist
Austin Bukenya. Her best-known work is the one-act play Keeping up
with the Mukasas, included in David Cook's 1965 anthology of East
African plays, Origin East Africa.Namukwaya was born at Bussi Island,
Kalangala District in Uganda. She attended high school at King's
College Budo, a coeducational school, where she distinguished herself
as an actor and writer of plays. Namukwaya repeatedly featured in the
school's many theatrical productions. Her early efforts at short-story
writing appeared in the 1960 edition of the school's magazine, The
Bodonian. She proceeded in 1961 to Makerere University for her Diploma
in Education (1962). At Makerere, her play Keeping up with the Mukasas
won the English competition and the original play award in the Ugandan
drama festival.While at Makerere, Namukwaya met and fell in love with
the Ugandan linguist and scholar Pio Zirimu. They married a few years
later. The marriage produced a daughter.In 1963, Namukwaya went to the
University of Leeds where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in
1966. On her return to Uganda, she became a tutor at the teacher's
training college at Kyambogo and later also at Makerere University.
She helped found the Uganda National Choir in 1967. Also that year,
she formed the Ngoma Players with a declared policy of writing and
producing plays in the Ugandan mode, and acted in, or directed, at
least twelve of their productions. From 1971 to 1979, she was active
in the National Cultural Centre, helping to formulate the policy of
the National Theatre (of which she became chair in 1978).
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