Timothy J. Nyanzi
| Timothy J. Nyanzi | |
|---|---|
Timothy J Nyanzi in 2022 | |
| Birth name | Timothy Julius Nyanzi |
| Born | 26 May 1990 Kampala, Uganda |
| Medium | Stand-up, Television |
| Education | Makerere University |
| Years active | 2014 - present |
| Genres | |
| Subject(s) | Everyday life, Language and Wordplay |
| Notable works and roles | The Pun African |
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Timothy Julius Nyanzi (born 26 May 1990) is a Ugandan stand-up comedian, writer and mentor. He performs a deadpan style of comedy often employing one-liners, word play and Non sequitur humour.[1][2][3]
Nyanzi co-founded The Punchliners in 2014, a comedy collective that contributed to the growth of Uganda's stand-up comedy scene. He also played a role in developing the country's open mic circuit.[2]
Early life and education
Nyanzi was born at Mulago Hospital, Kampala and raised in the Ggaba neighbourhood. [citation needed] He is one of four children of Joshua and Winfred Ssentamu. [citation needed] His father is a land surveyor and his mother runs a hardware business. [citation needed] He was raised Anglican. [citation needed]
Nyanzi attended Namilyango College for his secondary education and later graduated from Makerere University with a bachelor's degree in Procurement and Supply Chain Management. [citation needed]
Career
Nyanzi began performing stand-up comedy in 2014 at Waikiki Lounge in Centenary Park Kampala, as part of The Punchliners, where he appeared regularly.[2] He cites comedians Chris Rock and former The Daily Show host Trevor Noah as his comedic influences.[2] He later featured on Comedy Files and Just Another Comedy Club and appeared twice at the Bayimba International Festival of The Arts with The Punchliners.[3][4]
Stand-up Performances
In 2014, Nyanzi appeared on Comedy Club Live in Kampala, broadcast on Africa Magic. [citation needed] In 2016, he performed at the Goliath Comedy Club in Johannesburg, South Africa, and later that year at the Kigali International Comedy Festival, Rwanda.[citation needed]. In August 2018, he performed at the first ever Kampala Comedy Festival.[5][6]
In 2021, Nyanzi released his self-described “unoriginal” special, The Pun African, which was distributed via FEZAH.[7][8][9] He subsequently performed at the Juba International Comedy Festival, South Sudan and toured Kenya with his show Around the Border, appearing at several venues in Mombasa and Nairobi. [citation needed] He has also made appearances at The Comedy Black Friday[10] and Funny Bunny.[11]
Mentorship and alternative stages
Nyanzi began mentoring comedians early in his career, helping to develop several performers who later became established figures on Uganda’s comedy circuit.[2] Among those he is credited with mentoring are Nancy Kobusheshe, Okello Okello,[10] Lyshia Juliet, Collins Emeka, Optional Allan, Maggie D’Bwaiserian, Noi Noi, Maulana, Mad Rat & Chiko, Kalera Daniel and Living Tomas.[2]
He later worked with the all-female collective Queens of Comedy, founded by Cotilda Inapo where he mentored comedians including Akite Agnes, Richmouth and Eva Nabadda.[2]
In 2016, Nyanzi ran Funny Tuesday at Big Mike’s in Kampala. [citation needed] After The Punchliners disbanded, he launched Kubby’s Open Mic, a platform which played a key role in the apprenticeship of emerging comedians, which included Reign and Sunny, Dr. Hilary Okello, Don Andre, Akau Jambo, Mudhaasi, Ronald Ssemaganda, OJ Papatunde, Sundiata, Deli Jonathan, Ceaser Oyo,and Uncle Mark.[2] Emmanuel Ekeesit also emerged from this platform.[12]
In 2022, he introduced New Material Night at Green Bistro, Bukoto-Ntinda,[11][13] that supported the growth of more emerging comedians such as Jacques Rwothumio, [14] Alphonse Obalim, Jordan Nasasira, Zaga, Elvis Faki, Tr. Sulphur and Jonah.[2] He also ran other regular comedy nights, including More Coffee More Comedy and Laffé Little.[3]
In a 2023 article on the growth of comedy in Uganda, Sqoop described Nyanzi as a comedian, comedy mentor and trainer, quoting him on the increasing respectability of the profession: “Comedy is now a career option… we have comedians representing across borders.” [15]
Collaboration with Anne Kansiime
Nyanzi is a long-standing member of Anne Kansiime's creative team. [citation needed] He served as a producer[16] and head writer for The Comedy Grill of Anne Kansiime and contributed to writing roasts for the show. [citation needed] He also wrote for Pearl Magic Prime's reality television series Kan-See-Me, appearing in three episodes. [citation needed] The show was not renewed for a second season, a fact Nyanzi humorously referenced in interviews. [citation needed] He has served as a writer and supervising director on multiple episodes of the sketch series Don't Mess With Kansiime. [citation needed]
Other work
In 2017, Nyanzi directed and produced Okello Okello's debut stand-up special, Rich Friends Poor Family, and on 23 October 2024, he again directed Agnes Akite's one-woman show, Son of Opio.[17]
In 2024, he contributed writing to the Nairobi International Comedy Festival's Highly Debatable Show. [citation needed]
Nyanzi is also an animation writer with Katoto Studio. [citation needed] In 2025, he was the scriptwriter for Cartoons from the Source of the Nile, a collection of four animated short films; The Adventures of Pablo, Rushian Macinary: Who Killed Captain Alex?, Magujja & Opolot, and Queen Kitami, which were nominated in the Gbaka African category at the Festival International Gbaka Animation Awards. [citation needed]
He serves as a panelist on the witty quiz show Dumb Questions for Cool People, which he co-created with Ernest Bazanye. [citation needed]
On 21 March 2025, Nyanzi opened Laughing Maraboustork, the first official comedy club in Uganda, where he continues to perform.[3][18][19]
Awards and honors
In 2019, Nyanzi was elected to the Executive Committee of The Uganda Comedians Association (TUCA)[3] in charge of finance.[20]
On 7 February 2020, Daily Monitor's Sqoop Magazine listed him among key figures who have significantly contributed to Uganda's entertainment industry, together with Michael Ouma, Jeff Kiwa, Steve Jean, Aly Alibhai, Elijah Kitaka, Julius Kyazze & Benon Mugumbya, Tshaka Mayanja, and Faisal Kiwewa. [citation needed]
In 2023, the reality show Kan-See-Me, for which Nyanzi served as a writer, received an Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards nomination for Best Unscripted Original.[21][22]
He has been featured in Comedy Culture Kenya[18] and has also appeared on BBC Africa Daily podcast, discussing the state of comedy in Africa.[23]
References
- ↑ Matogo, Philip (2024-11-10). "The types of comedy Ugandan comedians use to get a laugh | Pulse Uganda". www.pulse.ug. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Republic, Matooke (2024-11-21). "Meet Timothy J. Nyanzi, the unsung architect shaping Uganda's comedy scene behind the spotlight - Matooke Republic". Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Matogo, Philip (2025-02-09). "The good, bad, ugly of Ugandan comedy". Monitor. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ Republic, Matooke (2016-09-16). "Bayimba Festival of the Arts on this entire weekend - Matooke Republic". Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ sqoopadmin (2018-07-05). "How Uganda's first Comedy festival went down - Sqoop - Get Uganda entertainment news, celebrity gossip, videos and photos". Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ "Uganda Holds first ever comedy festival, Trevor Noah to Headline Season 2". www.howwe.ug. 2018-07-02. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ sqoopadmin (2021-05-22). "Comedian Timothy Nyanzi to release 'unoriginal' Netflix comedy special - Sqoop - Get Uganda entertainment news, celebrity gossip, videos and photos". Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ sqoopadmin (2021-04-24). "Timothy Nyanzi with 'comedy special' - Sqoop - Get Uganda entertainment news, celebrity gossip, videos and photos". Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ Matogo, Philip. "Nyanzi brings a fresh voice in his new standup special". Nilepost News. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Kaggwa, Andrew (2022-08-08). "Black Friday fast becoming comedy hub - Sqoop - Get Uganda entertainment news, celebrity gossip, videos and photos". Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 sqoopadmin (2023-08-01). "Comedian Don Andre finds home at Wombo Restaurant - Sqoop - Get Uganda entertainment news, celebrity gossip, videos and photos". Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ Matogo, Philip (2025-09-21). "'Stand-up comedy scene in Uganda has loads of talent'". Monitor. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ Wardley, Jonathon (2023-04-02). "Comedy Roots ⋆ The Eye Magazine Directory". The Eye Magazine Directory. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ Taremwa, Trevor (2025-03-31). "Jacques' Comedy Special There There Marks a Bold Debut - Matooke Republic". Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ Ssejjombwe, Isaac (2023-06-02). "Is Ugandan comedy heading in the right direction? - Sqoop - Get Uganda entertainment news, celebrity gossip, videos and photos". Retrieved 2025-12-11.
- ↑ Ssejjombwe, Isaac (2025-05-12). "Anne Kansiime serves at comedy grill - Sqoop - Get Uganda entertainment news, celebrity gossip, videos and photos". Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ Republic, Matooke (2024-10-28). "Akite Agnes Marks 10 Years of Comedy in Grand Style - Matooke Republic". Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Munene, Maina (2025-02-10). "Laughing Maraboustork; First Official Comedy Club In Kampala To Launch In March". Comedy Culture. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ Kaggwa, Andrew (2025-03-29). "Finally, Uganda gets a comedy club". Monitor. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ Our, Reporter (2020-06-30). "Comedians launch national association". bigeye74.rssing.com. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ GLAZIA (2023-04-17). "AMVCA 2023 - Actors, Movies & More + Full Nominations List". Glazia. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ Nseyen, Nsikak (2023-04-17). "AMVCA releases nominees for 2023 awards [FULL LIST]". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ↑ "BBC Audio | Africa Daily | What's the state of comedy in Africa?". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
External links
- https://www.laughingmaraboustork.com/
- Timothy J. Nyanzi on Facebook
- Timothy J. Nanzi on Instagram
- Timothy J. Nyanzi on X twitter
Category:Ugandan stand-up comedians Category:Makerere University alumni Category:People educated at Namilyango College
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