One could easily call Wycliffe Kiyingi's "Muduuma Kwe Kwaffe" a Master Piece but though one may hesitate to call it so at least few people or no one will argue that Kiyingi's 4- Act play never came anywhere close to what one would consider to be master piece because surely this could be the closest that Kiyingi could have come to master piece.

Muduuma Kwe Kwaffe is literally translated to mean 'Muduuma' is our 'home' or our place of birth and origin.

The play is set in the era of the Former President of Uganda Idi Amin Dada and no wonder that it carries historical undertones that replicate the Africanization of the Ugandan Economy which involved forcing Indians out of their shops and having them given to the Ugandans.

More importantly is that Kiyingi cleverly satirizes the entire idea of grabbing businesses from the Indians and dishing them out to Ugandans that barely have the experience to manage the businesses.

In the play this is well articulated by how Kamadi a relatively unintelligent peasant is given a bakery that formerly belonged to an Indian just because it is his relative that is in charge of giving out these shops and due to his nepotic tendencies gives the shop to such unintelligent people like Kamadi.  

No wonder that Kamadi even lacks the self belief to manage such a business of a bakery but just accepts because he has been 'given'

However Kiyingi is most successful in satirizing the futility of boycotts as depicted in the play but which suggestively are symbolic of revolutions.

In the play he depicts the leaders of the boycott against Indian traders as being orchestrated by opportunistic politicians like Ginatio and even the ones that are really well intentioned during such boycotts like Mudiima instead persecuted for their good intentions and end up despairing. Ironically Mudiima becomes victim of the boycott and the dishing out of shops rather than a beneficiary.

Though the play can highly be credited for its ability to appeal to the contemporary society with its socio- political themes like corruption, nepotism and betrayal none the less, the play misses in some aspects, for instance, at some points one gets a feeling that Kiyingi's satire is too soft for such sensitive themes that he chooses in his play.
 
Surprisingly Kiyingi's play points out the vices like corruption and convinces you that these vices are detestable but the play just stops at that and does not leave one enraged against such vices like any other successful satirical work would have done.

And that is why though Kiyingi's play is close to master piece it narrowly fails at the point where the satire fails to be as successful as it should have been for such sensitive themes.

Fortunately for Kiyingi the actors chosen to act his play have not disappointed. Patricko Mujjuka who acts as Kamadi stands out in the play as he acts as that buffoonish peasant in the play. Other actors like Joseph Walugembe who acts as Saulo, the local Chief plays his part brilliantly well and it is surely a play worth watching.

We should say Kaya Kagimu Mukasa did a good Job directing the play written by the Theatre Veteran. Wycliffe Kiyingi is a doyen of Uganda Theatre and he was earlier this year crowned the "Golden Artist" of the century during the Celebration of 50 years of the existence of the National Theatre.

His play Muduuma Kwe Kwaffe was then launched and the National Theatre administration decided to have his play shown at the National Theatre as an honor to the Legend. The play will end tomorrow Saturday 24th  2010. Tickets can be secured at 10,000 shillings and the first show is at 3:00pm while the second show will be at 7:00pm.
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