Shirandula leaves rich legacy for thespian

The casket containing the body of the late actor Charles Bukeko is fumigated at the graveside during his burial service at Bukeko village in Busia County on July 21, 2020. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

Death is always far from us until it takes away the familiar. Charles Bukeko could very easily have been a stranger to many of us. But Papa Shirandula, his on screen persona, was an ever-present family member in homes across the entire country. We knew every little detail of his life. And when news of his death was confirmed on Saturday, it entered many homes with the same force that his show did every Thursday evening. Only this time, it left behind gloom instead of wonderment. Bukeko was pronounced dead at the Karen Hospital on Saturday, July 18.