Akite Agnes

Akite Agnes
Akite Agnes in 2015
Birth name	Akite Agnes Opio
Born	(1983-03-19)19 March 1983 Kampala, Uganda
Medium	Stand-up television
Alma mater	Makerere University (Bachelor of Tourism)
Years active	2009–present
Genres	Observational comedy self-deprecation
Subject(s)	Everyday life relationships
Spouse	Brian Makalama
Children	Noel Brianna
Parent(s)	Anthony Opio, (father) Hellen Opio (mother)
Relative(s)	Elem Richard (brother) Adong Catherine (sister) Apio Grace (sister) Adoo Mary (sister) Auma Susan (sister) Oyar Emmanuel (brother) Ayugi Harriet (sister) Awelli Doreen (sister)

Akite Agnes (born 19 March 1983) is a Ugandan stand-up comedienne, actress, MC, and philanthropist. She is popularly known for her role as Arach in the series The Hostel, where she portrays Odoch's girlfriend and the owner of a shop. She has also acted in Pearl Magic's Girl from Mparo as Mama Brian, the nosy neighbour. Her style of comedy reflects on the daily issues that face people as they go about their lives.

Early life and education[]

Akite Agnes was born on 19 March 1983 in Kampala, Uganda to Anthony Opio, an auditor, and Hellen Opio. She is the fifth-born of nine children. She grew up in Kitintale and later in Mutungo, suburbs of Kampala. She was raised a Catholic. She went to St. Kizito Primary School, Bugolobi for her primary, where she did her Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), and later to Our lady of Good Counsel, Gayaza, where she did her secondary education. She did her Uganda Certificate Examinations (UCE) at Naalya SS, Namugongo. She later went for her A levels in St. Lawrence Creamland Campus, where she did her UACE. She joined Makerere University in 2003, where she pursued and completed a Bachelor of Arts in Tourism ^[1]

Career[]

In 2009, Agnes was approached by Anne Kansiime to act in a new TV comedy series called The Hostel after her friend, Pamela, had turned it down. She got the part of Arach without auditioning.^[2] This was the beginning of her acting career. The Hostel is a series that was very popular in Uganda, initially shown on NTV and later on DStv. She acted for three seasons and left the set in 2012 as she was preparing to give birth to her second child, Brianna.

In 2014, she debuted her comedy act with a group called The Punchliners after being persuaded by Anne Kansiime and Daniel Omara to try out stand-up comedy.^[2][3] She later joined Comedy Files.

In 2015, she was part of the Queens of Comedy Uganda vs Kings of Comedy Rwanda in Kigali.

In 2016, she featured in Girl from Mparo as Mama Brian, the nosy neighbour, a series that aired on UBC^[4] and later on DSTV's Pearl Magic.

In 2018, when the contract with Comedy Files ended, Agnes started doing solo acts on different comedy platforms, including Rock Comedy and Comedy Store Ug, hosted by Alex Muhangi. In June, she appeared in the Kampala Comedy Festival, hosted by Okello Okello, another renowned comedian in Uganda.^[5][6] On her return to Comedy Stores UG in August, she impressed the crowd.^[7] The clip for that show went viral on WhatsApp, where she was heaped with praise.^[8] She attributed the popularity of that clip to Comedy Store, which has an active social media account, and Kakensa Media, who have a huge following on Facebook.^[2] Between August and November, Agnes was a permanent member of the UG Pineapple Comedy Tour, which took her to different parts of the country including Mbale, Gulu, Fort Portal, Jinja, and Mbarara.^[9] She was part of the group from Comedy Store Ug that went to Mbarara for its maiden show outside Kampala.^[10] Agnes featured for the first time in the fourth episode of Africa Laughs on 8 October at Kampala Serena Hotel,^[11] hosted by Patrick Salvador Idringi and featuring other comedians such as Basketmouth, Alfred Kainga, Eddie Kadi, Mc Jesse, Professor Haimo, and Arthur Nkusi. In December, she resumed acting, this time with Fun Factory in a TV series called Mizigo Express, as Sam's girlfriend.

In early March 2019, Agnes created and hosted the Arise Woman! Comedy Jam on International Women's Day. In celebration of the holiday, the show comprised an all-female cast.^[12] These included Nancy Kobusheshe, Maggie the Bwaiserian, Rich Mouth, Dora Nakagga, Leila Kachapizo, and the Fun Factory ladies. Part of the proceeds of the show was given to charity.^[13] In late March, Agnes returned to Kigali as part of the Seka Fest, which featured comedians from Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria.^[14] In April, she featured on The Comedian's OutLuke Podcast, presented by comedian Luke Anthony as part of a Uganda Special.^[2] In July 2019, she was part of the Ugandan comedians who performed in the Laugh Festival in Nairobi, Kenya,^[15] and in September, she performed at the Uganda North America Association Convention in Chicago. In December, she headlined The One Africa Festival in a bid to fight xenophobia at Port Elizabeth, South Africa.^[16]

Ladies of the Fun Factory doing a skit during the Arise Woman! Comedy Show

Style of comedy[]

Akite's style of stand-up is observational comedy, where she points out the funny side of daily life. She also sometimes uses self-deprecation in her humour.^[17] She avoids political humour.^[18]

Personal life[]

Agnes is the fifth-born in a family of two brothers, Richard and Emmanuel; and six sisters, Cathy, Grace, Mary, Susan, Harriet, and Doreen. She is the mother of two children, Noel and Brianna. She is in a relationship with Brian Makalama. Agnes is Catholic and attends Our Lady of Africa Church.^[19]

Philanthropy[]

Agnes is the co-founder and CEO of Arise Woman Foundation, which advocates for and empowers women and youth. Proceeds from the Arise Women! Comedy Jam have been donated to Home of Hope, Jinja.

Filmography[]

References[]

External links[]

• Media related to Akite Agnes at Wikimedia Commons
• Akite Agnes at IMDb