A new Ugandan television drama is entering bold territory. After The Ashes, produced by Savannah Moon Films and Nabwiso Films, explores family power structures inside a deeply patriarchal criminal and business empire.Set in Kampala, the series follows four sisters who inherit their father’s empire after his sudden death. The streets never expected them to lead. They were dismissed as too soft, too emotional, too female. But when a hidden enemy attacks, the sisters respond with strategy and force. The message is clear: when you attack one sister, you awaken all four.Designed as a premium drama, the show is emotionally intense, rooted in social realities that feel Ugandan in unmistakable ways. The city’s business rivalries, religious influence, and moral contradictions shape every decision the sisters make.Nana KaggaIt features Nana Kagga as Nekesa, Cleopatra Koheirwe as Nandi, Eleanor Nabwiso as Thandi, and Nampanga Pelly Pennina as Akumu as lead actresses supported by Dennis Kinani, Papa Daniel Mushikoma, Pheona Daisy Aineomugisha, Bob Kisiki, Issa Masadde, Robbie Akello, and more. After The Ashes interrogates patriarchy, the sisters are not just fighting criminal rivals. They are confronting a system that assumes leadership belongs to men by default. Their father built his empire through fear and control. His death destabilizes everything.Without clear succession, allies turn uncertain, and enemies grow bold. The sisters must consolidate power quickly or lose it entirely. The show subtly raises a real-world issue: when patriarchs fail to plan for succession, families pay the price.Ayeny T. Steve explores Hollywood, Tyler Perry StudiosThe Sisters: Four Temperaments, One BloodlineAt the core of After The Ashes is temperament, and we talked to the lead actresses about it. Nekesa, portrayed by Nana Kagga, may be its most psychologically volatile force. Bipolar and often navigating a distorted grasp on reality, Nekesa was honed by her father into something lethal. Her mental health is not romanticized; it is weaponized.The most emotionally demanding scene Kagga references—slicing a man’s throat—signals the show’s refusal to dilute its violence. Yet Nekesa’s arc is not simply brutality. If the series becomes a cultural reference point, Kagga hopes audiences take away something more fragile: awareness of mental health and the reality that even the strongest among us can break.Behind the camera, Kagga doubles as director and serves across costume and set design. Despite her production responsibilities, she insists that being involved behind the scenes does not alter her acting process. Compartmentalization appears to be part of the discipline.Akumu, played by Pelly Nampanga, is the youngest sister—a gothic presence shaped by a mafia upbringing. She believes unequivocally that she and her sisters are “more competent than ten men put together.” Beneath that bravado lies indoctrination: she has learned that protecting what is yours may require getting your hands dirty.For Nampanga, the role demanded transformation. Akumu’s aesthetic and psychological darkness are far from her previous screen personas. She didn’t even audition; Nana Kagga called her directly.Right from reading the script, I kept wondering how Nana wrote this, and then looked at me and said, ‘Pelly will do. It triggered self-doubt, but also reflected trust built over the years and a belief in my range.These same collaborators gave her her first big breaks. “Nana cast me in my first feature, where I met Cleo (Cleopatra Koheirwe), and then my first lead role in Maria, which won me Best Actress twice. The Nabwisos (who are the co-producers of this show)put me on one of Uganda’s best TV shows, Sanyu. I could never tell my journey without acknowledging them—I have utmost respect and gratitude for both.”Thandi, played by Eleanor Nabwiso, is prayerful but vengeful. She struggles to hold the family together while wrestling with guilt and moral conflict, seeking forgiveness from her church, her relatives, and herself. The role demands rapid emotional shifts between calm faith, tears, and rage.“I’ve acted many roles, but this one feels like all of them combined,” says Eleanor. “The goal—to portray women leading big empires—puts even more pressure on me to deliver my best. I want the audience to relate and perhaps take something away.”Looking ahead, she hopes the show leaves a lasting mark. “Ten years from now, I want this series to be remembered as the one that changed the narrative—where Nabwiso Films and Savannah Moon collaborated to create something great. I want people to understand that sometimes, the people around you shape the monster you become, and culturally, to embrace daughters as strong, capable leaders of empires long after you’re gone.Then there is Nandi, portrayed by Cleopatra Koheirwe: the strategist. Calculated and controlled, she is driven by legacy and a wound tied directly to her father. She feels responsible for protecting his name and stabilizing the empire. Unlike Nekesa’s explosive presence, Nandi operates quietly. She plans. She calculates. She waits. But she is no less dangerous.“I am not a smoker, and I hate cigarettes, but Nandi smokes—so that alone was demanding,” Koheirwe admits. Beyond the physical habits, the role challenged her to embody controlled intensity and the weight of responsibility.When asked about the conversations she hopes the show sparks, she explains: “I want audiences to talk about wills and inheritance, and why it’s vital for family heads to put these matters to prevent conflict. About keeping siblings united despite different backgrounds. And how legacy affects the next generation.”Collectively, the sisters represent four survival models: volatility, indoctrinated resolve, spiritual conflict, and strategic calculation.The production describes After The Ashes as “made in Uganda for the world.” According to director and producer Nana Kagga, the series will premiere on local networks and streaming platforms, with ambitions to reach audiences across Africa and internationally. The aim is not to imitate foreign crime dramas but to craft a distinctly Ugandan story that meets global standards of storytelling, production design, and cinematic quality.Behind the scenes, the series is driven by a diverse team of crew. Nana Kagga leads as director and also handles costume and set design, as mentioned earlier, while Vincent Odoi serves as Director of Photography and co-editor. Salim Muhumuzaoperates Camera B, assisted by Makumbi Pius and Jeremiah Muhuza.Sound is managed by Peter Iga, with gaffer duties by Suuna George and Ras Tuza. Makeup is by Esther Nakaziba, continuity by Pheona Daisy Ainemugisha, production management by Eria Mbowa, editing also by Ken Heights, grading by John Paul Mboira, dialogue editing by Adnan Senkumba, and music supervision and editing by IsikoAbubaker. The trailer of the show was released last week and shows that it will come out soon. The producers say they are exploring possible distribution channels here in Uganda, and once everything is finalized, we’ll see it on the screens. The trailer for the show was released last week, indicating that its premiere is approaching. The producers have stated that they are currently exploring possible distribution channels in Uganda, and once the arrangements are finalized, the show will be available on screen.The post After the Ashes: A Collaboration Between Nana Kagga’s Savannah Moon Films and Up with Nabwiso Films to Launch soon appeared first on MBU.