STEPHEN RWANGYEZI is one of the most recognisable figures in the entertainment industry whose influence with his Ndere Troupe transcends Ugandan boundaries.
Over the years, he has turned Ndere into one of the biggest brands; a paragon of performing arts, Ugandan cultural tourism and heritage. The ambitious Rwangyezi sought to expand Ndere’s realm by venturing into the hospitality industry and this year is supposed to be Ndere’s milestone celebration of 40 years.
However, it is turning out to be a distressing issue for Rwangyezi, who is desperate to clear a Shs 10.5bn loan. On a wider scale, Ndere’s recent struggles have become a cause for concern for stakeholders in the cultural and performing arts industry. Rwangyezi took The Observer through the good, bad and ugly of the current situation as well as the possible remedies.
THE CONCEPT
Rwangyezi says that back in 1984 when he founded Ndere Troupe, the main reason was that the African heritage was sinking.
“I started Ndere to purposely bring pride and confidence in the African world by seeing that actually our music, our dance, our food, our everything is very good and very beautiful,” he recalls.
And at that time, he was teaching at Lubiri SS and formed a club that would recapture Ugandan traditional music, dance and storytelling and develop them into modern performing arts.
“We also wanted to bring the whole country in one space, through diversity. We deliberately vowed our performances would be a repertoire that has all Ugandan cultures represented,” he says.
BREAKTHROUGH
The pioneer members of Ndere Troupe that Rwangyezi recruited were his students at Lubiri SS and those at Buganda Road primary school. Their big breakthrough was the 1987 performance at National theatre, an event that was graced by then prime minister Dr Samson Kisekka.
Another performance at State House during Christmas carols endeared them to the president and it is from here that they started to perform at several state events. However, Rwangyezi recalls they burnt their fingers weeks later when they performed at empty seats because at the time, the performing arts industry had not yet warmed up to their style.
“On several occasions we performed for free in schools, and theatres didn’t want to book us because our style was different,” he says.
TURNING POINT
Ndere’s turning point was in December, 1988 Christmas when Nile hotel booked them to perform for free every Sunday afternoon.
“That move opened the door for us because tourists at the hotel got to feel the Ugandan cultural performances. I started to look at the troupe as a business, and my conclusion was that the creative arts sector needed trained managers that would understand the cost-benefit analysis,” he says.
Over the years, Rwangyezi says, Ndere Troupe has educated and nurtured hundreds of members through their adulthood.
“I want to give you one example of a lady, Mary Kamuli Kutesa, who is now the director of Legal Affairs at Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra),” he says.
Rwangyezi would later lead the founding of the Uganda Development Theatre Association (UDTA) with a view of bringing together different cultural performing groups. However, they lacked a home or meeting place to share ideas on development of the art.
Rwangyezi says he lobbied several government institutions and NGOs with no success but when he pitched the idea of a cultural centre to the Austrian government, it was immediately approved. In fact, the initial funds that helped start the building of the centre were a grant from Austria.
“We wanted this to be a place where we could not only develop and display Ugandan culture, but could also coordinate as the headquarters for the other groups that are in the UDTA. So, in 1999, we bought the Ndere cultural centre land and 2001, we started the construction.”
By 2003, the centre was up and running with free shows.
“We built this auditorium. We created some accommodation. We built the second amphitheatre and the rest is history,” he says.
EXPANSION DRIVE
It was in 2019 that Rwangyezi explored to expand Ndere’s influence in cultural tourism.
“We decided that we should expand in the tourism industry, but specifically on the modern cultural tours. So, we went to Uganda Development Bank (UDB) and borrowed to build a very beautiful large resort on the northern shores of Lake Mutanda in Kisoro,” he says.
“Secondly, we wanted to build a hotel in Bbira, Wakiso district. And the business model was that people would come, sleep in our hotel, then travel, for example, if going to Kisoro and sleep in our resort. We had worked out an itinerary where people who come to Uganda interested in the developments of Uganda from prehistoric times to today, would be able to stay in very comfortable, beautiful spaces, enjoy in nature, but access indigenous knowledge. The second thing we wanted to do was turn this cultural center into a university, or an institute, so that we can formally research and document our indigenous knowledge.”
To achieve the goals, Rwangyezi did not have the money. So, he borrowed Shs 6.8 billion and the first tranche came in December, 2019.
COVID-19 MENACE
Then Covid-19 hit! He says they faced difficulty in coordinating the construction works at the two sites.
“The material costs shot through the roof. The consultant fees for architects and civil engineers went beyond imagination. So, as a result, we could not finish the construction in time. The money got finished before we could finish the construction in Kisoro and in Bbira,” he says.
Matters were not helped when the centre closed for almost three years. On the other hand, only a handful of the then 81-member troupe remained.
“Many of them dropped out of school. Others left and many got married. By the time we resumed in 2023, they were not even able to dance. We also had to look for money to rehabilitate the centre, to buy new equipment, new furniture, new everything, and to start training and resume performances.”
THE GOOD
From then on, Rwangyezi says, he embarked on training new recruits to meet Ndere’s high standards and at the moment, the troupe has gone back to their three performances a week. Meanwhile, the Kisoro resort got completed earlier in the year and it is fully operational.
“Things are looking up and we have even resumed our international performances. We have been to Dubai and the United States over the past one year,” he says.
THE BAD
Unfortunately, they defaulted on the debt from UDB during the Covid-19 lockdown and it continued to accrue, with penalties. At the moment, it stands at Shs 10.5bn. Rwangyezi says they requested the bank to do three things.
“Firstly, not put penalties. We also requested them to freeze interest, and lastly, we requested them to give us a bit of time. We asked them to give us a bit more money so we could complete the structures, because at the moment we have money stuck in concrete at Bbira, which is not bringing income, and the buildings are getting spoiled,” he says.
THE UGLY
Unfortunately, UDB did not accept. Rwangyezi says they have written several letters and had many meetings on the matter with little breakthrough. To regularize the loan, the bank demands them to pay at least 30 per cent of the total sum, which is about Shs 3.5bn. In some of the discussions, UDB offered to write off the loan if Ndere pays a lumpsum of Shs 8bn.
On August 30, the issue took an ugly turn when Ndere’s three structures were advertised in the media for auction within 30 days if they fail to pay.
THE REMEDIES
According to Rwangyezi, a valuation report by UDB officials put the 8.7-acre cultural centre at Shs 33bn but Rwangyenzi believes it is in the region of Shs 50bn. He says if the bank allows them to pay at least Shs 40m monthly, they would be able to operate without killing the activity.
“But they are not listening to that. And this is so problematic. I’ve had previously some people wondering why we are keeping such prime space [centre] empty. Also, there are some people who have come here, asking me; we understand so and so has just bought this place. Some advise us to get money from moneylenders and clear the loan but we are acting cautiously,”
“The reason I went to UDB was that I thought they would not only be interested in the business investment, but the situation seems otherwise.”
APPEAL TO PRESIDENT MUSEVENI
He also appeals for President Museveni’s help.
“We obtained this loan from UDB. We did not squander the money, but the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Covid-19 killed the troupe, killed the centre’s operations and killed the construction works,” he says.
“However, we have rejuvenated the centre, revitalized the troupe, and successfully completed the construction of the Kisoro resort. Please, Your Excellency, take away this rock around our neck. Please take the loan away. If it is not possible, give us time to reorganize ourselves at the bank. We shall surely fundraise through equity selling, through business operations, through public fundraising, and we shall pay this loan.”
It remains unclear whether Museveni will bail out Rwangyezi as he has done with other businessmen before, but there is a looming fear that if the cultural centre goes, it will rob Ugandans of the grand tourist attraction and heritage centre in Kampala, which serves about 600 to 1,000 tourists on any given weekend.
