First daughter Natasha Karugire has always been passionate about the arts. After more than a decade as a fashion designer under her House of Kaine Label, she announced that she had joined Uganda’s burgeoning film industry early last year.
Together with her cousin Esteri Akandwanaho (daughter to Gen. Salim Saleh), they launched the Isaiah 60 Production house. Their first production is a family affair as they retell the NRA bush war that brought President Yoweri Museveni to power exactly 32 years ago in a movie titled 27 Guns.
The family affair continues as Natasha’s sister Diana Kamuntu acts as their mother Janet in the movie.
Arnold Mubangizi a former member of Kigezi Kinimba Actors a group that was much loved by Ugandans in the early and late 90s acts President Museveni.
Two months away
The movie was originally planned to be released around Liberation Day (January 26), that is commemorated to celebrate President Museveni’s 1986 ascent to power but Matooke Republic understands it’s two months away.
We reached out to the producer Esteri about details of the movie and she referred us to Isaiah 60 Productions’ publicist Marcella Kirekye who was cagey about divulging details.
“We still have a couple of months, approximately two, to have the movie ready but before that, we are not be able to release any information to the media,” she stated.
The story
The story by Natasha partly borrows from President Museveni’s book Sowing The Mustard Seed and the screenplay was penned by Sharpe Sewali (formerly of the gospel singing group First Love) and MF Semujju. Sewali co-directs the movie with Natasha.
The movie recounts Museveni and his soldiers’ five year struggle to free Uganda of tyranny. It tells the story of 43 men with 27 guns who took on the Milton Obote regime in 1981 and captured power five years later.
The first family shares acting and technical credits on the movie with local Ugandan talent. Actors like Michael Wawuyo Jr, Maureen Jolly and Hussein Marijan of the Deception fame share screen time with the ruling family.
Mustaque Abdallah, a veteran videographer who honed his skill by shooting music videos more than 15 years ago was the Director of Photography.