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Ssentumbwe Norman Kabuuza is a creative writer. An alumnus of the Department of Performing Arts, he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama and Film, Makerere University, and has been mentored by Tebere Arts Foundation in the annual Emerging Artists Intensive Lab.

He has worked with award winning poet, actress and theatre director, Rashida Namulondo

under the Sophie Muwanika Institute of Art for Change, a non-profit organization using theatre

as a means to dealing with trauma.

He went on to become Production Assistant for her Solo Show, “Withdraw”, directed by Adong

Judith in 2018.

He is interested in stories of identity and place.

Synopsis:

Sunbird

A one-act play synopsis  by Ssentumbwe Norman Kabuuza

When an important man dies in a secret brothel in post-war Kampala, its astute matriarch

works to maintain business in the face of impending justice.

Synopsis

Sunbird, the seductive but cunning madam of the secret brothel, Butterfly Wings, has blood

on her hands. A man of important stature dies of stabbing in her house and his body set

ablaze in a faraway forest. Certain of the finality of the job—no traces left behind

whatsoever—she carries on with business until her right hand man Abbas, delivers bad news.

The police have identified the remains. They know it was murder, and have clues to the

culprits. Worse, he is being followed by a strange car. Abbas suggests they pack up and flee.

But Sunbird is adamant.

Finally convinced of the validity of Abbas’ claims, Sunbird decides to close business and

change location. First, she must find a good buyer for the house. Her girls object. Sunbird is

resolute. She knows who to contact. But her paternal Aunt Mbekeka has different plans. She

demands that Sunbird surrenders the title deed to the house because it belonged to her late

brother, and he would never have willingly given to her mother, who also happened to be a

prostitute. Mbekeka threatens her non-compliance with involving the police, the last thing

Sunbird wants.

Cornered, she devises a different plan and carries on with business. She makes phone calls

to prospective clients, attempts to rekindle a relationship with past ones. She needs all the

money she can make. A few days later a new client, Jacob, arrives. He is the perfect beau

and a charming image of masculinity. Sunbird is smitten, but does well in masking the

blossoming affection. Sugar, half-sister to Sunbird and one of her girls, takes a liking to him

too.

A day later, Abbas returns to tell Sunbird he is no longer being followed. He believes it’s a

trick and they shouldn’t let their guard down. Jacob and Abbas finally meet, but the two don’t

see eye to eye. Abbas warns Sunbird about Jacob. He might be trouble. But to Sunbird, this

is testosterone jealously. She has always quietly known of Abbas’ feelings for her. He is just

not her grade.

Sugar confronts Sunbird for duping them out of their hard-earned money. Sunbird threatens

throwing her out owing to her extravagant lifestyle. Sensing she is heading nowhere with this;

Sugar delivers her ultimate by reminding Sunbird how the dead man raped her. A scuffle

ensues. Sugar is hurt. Mbekeka returns to finish what she started. Jacob walks in on the

commotion and it is revealed he was an undercover agent after all. Abbas is arrested, and

Sunbird wanted at the police station. But Nadia, one of Sunbird’s mentally distraught girls

draws a gun and commits suicide.