Charles Bukeko, known to many as Papa Shirandula is the latest high-profile Kenyan known to succumb to the deadly Coronavirus – By Gerald Gekara.
His death took many by surprise since his acting career won him fans far and wide. From Papa Shirandula to the “Brrr” Coca-Cola advertisement his character sold his name across the world.
Not known to many, Bukeko used to play for PanPaper, in the 1990s, before sustaining an injury that saw him off hang his boots.
He later developed an interest in theatre arts at the Kenya National Theatre (KNT). In his capacity as a halls custodian, Papa would market plays and soon took an interest in watching the performances staged there.
He then got involved with an acting group, Arts Ablaze. While setting up for a performance, one of the actors bailed out hours before the performance, forcing Papa to take up the role.
“We have a saying in theatre that ‘the show must go on’ and thus I took a script and went on stage,” he told Daily Metro, a defunct publication of the Nation Media Group, in 2008.
This then marked the start of his acting career.
He was then casted in Malooned, playing as a watchman. This set a stage for his next role in Makutano Junction, acting as a former Member of Parliament.
After putting up a stellar performance at the show, Royal Media Services managing director, Mr. Wachira Waruru, developed an interest in Bukeko’s character, urging him to develop it into a television series, and that is how the Citizen TV show Papa Shirandula was born.
“I am honored to have worked closely with Bukeko in the creation of the Papa Shirandula series that immediately gained wide acceptance across the country,” Mr Waruru stated.
With the soaring success of Papa Shirandula alongside shows like Tahidi High and Churchill Show, Bukeko became one of the actors who redefined the local acting scene, which at the time was crying for new content.
Fare well Papa
