Aliker p'Ocitti
I am a fan of Comedian Dr. Hillary Okello. In Gulu, I have even attended his poorly attended show as it drizzled. However, over the years, Dr. Hillary has trademarked his jokes on framing northern Uganda in extreme negative narratives.
In framing the context of his jokes, he uses well his northern Uganda identity as the unmentioned disclaimer for his hidden negativity to perpetuate negative narratives of northern Uganda, commonly used by people who unapologetically dislike anything to do with northern Uganda.
Recently, Dr. Hillary was in Rwanda, and he did a joke about breakups in Rwanda and juxtaposed it with breakups in Gulu. He uses this comparison to perpetuate the negative narrative of Northern Uganda ladies as endemically violent.
His lines place a hazardous mask over the faces of all ladies from northern Uganda to imply love them at your own risk.
At first, I ignored it as his trademark negativity on Northern Uganda. But on a second thought, I wondered why Gulu ladies are his target in Rwanda and not even Uganda. Are his audience aware of the context of his jokes about Gulu ladies?
Comedians, like all artists are communicators, what is he communicating to Rwanda about Gulu ladies? Could he be exporting these negative narratives to an international platform, now that we are a city?
This opinion piece is not to censor Dr. Hillary on his creativity but to hold him accountable on how his art, if used unfairly, can impact on the people he perpetually places in a negative light.
Acholi say, ka imito neko gwok, cak ki balo nyinge ni lakwo, literally meaning, if you want to kill a dog, start by blackmailing it as a thief.
Dr. Hillary is aware that negative narratives are harmful. He is aware that even a lie when said repeatedly begins to seem like the truth because it frames people’s perspectives.
Worst still, when the perpetrator identifies with the context of his narratives to confirm it as an authority and custodian of the truth of that society.
These repetitive negative scripts dictate how we interpret events and influence our thoughts, feelings and actions.
In the 80s and 90s, many of us who were fortunate to escape the war to advance our education in Kampala faced hostility from the inhabitants of Kampala.
While in school, we were called all sorts of names that demeaned us, haunted us and stigmatised many to low self-esteem.
Their views of us were influenced by negative narratives by haters and the content of their script is beginning to look much more like Dr. Hillary’s script.
What is certain is that their hatred had a purpose and agenda. The perpetuators of these negative narratives about Northern Uganda upheld their career of a lifetime to haunting us and serving the interest of their Patrons.
So, I am inclined to wonder, what is Dr. Hillary’s interest? Is it just about being funny? Is it just about saving a career? In whose interest does he serve his talent to dedicatedly bring to disrepute Northern Uganda perpetually? Is his negativity, a construct of his early childhood experience?
We may never get answers to these questions. Dr. Hillary is not obligated to understand the fans who pay for his shows to get insulted. But it is in every victims right to protest how they are framed and perceived.
Dr. Hillary, I come from Gulu and would like to protest the impression you have created of Gulu ladies. No ethnic group in Uganda lacks violent women. Gulu ladies have many other positive attributes which could still inform the context of your repeated jokes.
It could be in your interest to note that after the two-decade war, there developed a generation who dearly love Gulu. They have refused to identify with these old negative narratives.
They have empowered themselves above haters and intentionally chosen to make Gulu attractive. They use their art and talent, character and opportunities to image Gulu in positive light. I know you have periodically been a beneficiary of these positive attributes – The new face of Gulu that is welcoming and breaming with opportunities.
It’s therefore in your interest to emancipate yourself from that archaic impression of old Gulu and embrace the new identity of Gulu as an artist.
If you will tell our story, also borrow our lenses to tell our story; but if in your view our lenses have defects and you only need your lenses, then kindly note, a one-sided story is an incomplete story-be balanced.
To your promoters in Gulu, the ladies of Gulu who yell their hearts out in your praise for your thrilling jokes will surely be more grateful if they are respected with an apology.
Omera Dakta Hillary, Acholi have a saying; pe ipyel igony. Pyen inino mo keli kec.
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