If there was any lingering doubt about Dr Hillary Okello’s place among Uganda’s comedy elite, Friday night at Motiv quietly and convincingly settled it.
The show, which marked the official launch of his Jokes From Far Away tour, was more than just another comedy night. It felt like a statement: Ugandan comedy is no longer confined to Kampala’s stages. It is travelling, evolving, and holding its own on global circuits, with Hillary at the centre of that shift.
He belongs to a growing wave of Ugandan comedians alongside Patrick Salvador Idringi, Anne Kansiime and Herbert Mendo Ssegujja, all of whom have built audiences beyond the country’s borders. But Hillary is carving a distinct path, leaning into fresh, export-ready storytelling tailored for diverse audiences.
At Motiv, the lineup reflected that global ambition. Uganda’s contingent included Sylva Two, Jacques Rwothomio, Don Andre and host Cotilda, while international acts like Dr Shakes (Eswatini), Inspector Pamela (Zambia) and Ba Emma (Zimbabwe) added a continental mix. Each performance landed, but anticipation for Hillary remained unmatched.
When he stepped on stage at 10pm, it was with deliberate flair. The speakers blasted Unbwogable by GidiGidi MajiMaji, the iconic 2002 anthem once tied to political defiance in Kenya. The choice underscored his message: resilience, identity and a refusal to be boxed in.
That energy flowed seamlessly into his set.
For 45 minutes, Hillary delivered entirely new material, a rarity in stand-up where recycled jokes often creep in. His humour was sharp and observational, rooted in Ugandan realities but stretched across his growing international experiences.
He opened with a witty take on passports, drawing laughter as he contrasted the perceived “power” of Western documents with East African ones. From there, he explored class and lifestyle, poking fun at wealth, social dynamics and nightlife culture in ways that resonated deeply with the audience.
At one point, he joked that “rich people drink things with people’s names, while the rest of us bond over water,” before playfully telling women who have never been bought drinks in clubs to “report to the brotherhood club,” a line that sparked both laughter and mock protest.
Yet the set was not without edge. Hillary briefly ventured into sensitive territory, referencing discussions around Okello Oryem. With careful balance, he turned it into commentary on identity, humorously linking the “Okello” name to figures like Tito Okello and Allan Okello, while noting that one incident should not erase a broader legacy.
It was a delicate line, but one he navigated with confidence, showing both timing and awareness of audience sensitivity.
The show itself was tightly structured. Organisers aimed to end before 11pm, a decision Hillary acknowledged on stage, noting that overly long comedy nights often lose momentum. His tour format leans toward concise, high-impact sets of 45 minutes to an hour, a strategy that paid off.
There was little drag, minimal filler and a consistent rhythm throughout. Even moments of heckling were handled smoothly, often flipped into spontaneous punchlines.
More than just a successful show, the night served as a confident launchpad. The Jokes From Far Away tour is set to take Hillary across the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Sweden and Norway, while maintaining a presence in African markets such as Kenya and South Africa.
It was not just a performance. It was proof of concept.
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