National Theatre Kampala
Show 1 September 9
Kavumba Recreation Centre Wakiso
Show 2 September 12
Kampala, Uganda | ENTEBBENEWS.NET | A piece of central Uganda’s boarding-school folklore is being turned into dance. Batalo East and the Wakiso Dance Kids are staging Kakalabanda, a 60-minute dance theatre production drawn from the old tale of a mysterious creature said to have stalked school dormitories at night.
The production premieres at the Uganda National Theatre in Kampala on September 9, 2026, before moving to Kavumba Recreation Centre in Wakiso on 12 September.
The story it draws on is a familiar one to many who went through boarding school in the region.
In folklore, Kakalabanda—sometimes called nkalabanda—is a mythical, ghostly or skeletal creature said to roam school dormitories at night to scare children, steal items, or clip students’ hair and nails.
The phenomenon spread through schools in central Uganda in the 1990s, with learners saying they were attacked at night in their sleep and some claiming to see the figure passing through the dormitories.
Performed by the Wakiso Dance Kids, the production blends traditional dance with contemporary and urban movement, theatre and music, in keeping with Batalo East’s “Tradition Meets Urban” approach. The company says the aim is to keep older stories and traditional performance relevant to a younger generation.
“We want to pass this kind of art to the next generation for purposes of sustainability, and this explains why we chose Wakiso Dance Kids,” said Albert Mubiru, the production’s director.
Davis Ssebulime, the company’s head of art, said the tales carried more than the fear they were known for. “There were hidden meanings in those stories. These stories shaped discipline and behaviour among the young people,” he said, framing the show as a way to close the gap between generations through art, music, dance and storytelling.
Batalo East, founded by young artists in 2013, works across traditional dance, contemporary and urban styles, theatre and other forms of creative expression. Beyond the premiere, the company says it hopes to develop Kakalabanda into a touring production for theatres, festivals, schools and communities in Uganda and abroad and to use it to mentor young performers.
The production is led by Farouk Muyimbwa (general manager), Abdul Kinyenya (artistic director), Albert Mubiru (production manager and director), Davis Sebulime (creative producer), Rose Mary Atim (dramaturge), Levi Elasu (lead choreographer), Ulokcwinyu Ubia (production coordinator), Veronic Mukyala (production accountant) and Roland Lukundo (media and communications manager).
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(Both Shows are at 7:30pm to 8:40pm, and entry costs Shs30,000)
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