Renowned Ugandan comedian George Mulindwa, popularly known as Afande Kerekere, has opened up about the struggles he has faced since relocating to London. In an interview over the weekend, the comedian shared that life in the UK has been far from the glamorous expectations many have when they move abroad. Instead, he has been forced to take on difficult manual jobs, only to be fired from six different positions due to the intense workload. Despite his hopes of reviving his comedy career in the UK, Kerekere says his biggest disappointment has come from fellow Ugandans, whom he claims have actively worked against his progress rather than supporting him. Ugandans Abroad: A Competitive Community According to Kerekere, Ugandans living in the UK struggle to uplift each other, especially when someone who was once a star back home tries to make it abroad. He described an intense sense of competition among Ugandans in the diaspora, saying: Ugandans living in the UK, when they meet a person who was a star back in Uganda, they do their best to bring that person down. They say to themselves, ‘You were better than us in Uganda, now you are here with us. We are working the same shifts. We can be better than you.’ They take everything as a competition and try hard to bring you down. Kerekere expressed frustration at how difficult it has been to establish himself, especially given that Ugandans in the UK tend to stick to their own community and rarely explore beyond it. You will find a Ugandan who has been here for 20 years but has never been in a British bar to hang out with other nationalities. They always keep to themselves as a community. This isolation, he said, made it particularly hard for him because of his limited English proficiency, which prevented him from branching out and connecting with a wider audience. A Stark Contrast with Other Nationalities The comedian noted that while Ugandans seem to resist supporting their own, other nationalities take pride in uplifting their own people. He specifically pointed out how Nigerians in the UK actively support Nigerian stars who move abroad, ensuring they succeed in their craft. If a Nigerian star moves here, his community will welcome him and support his hustle. They are not like Ugandans who want competition and want to bring you down. Kerekere also mentioned other Ugandan artists who have struggled to get performance opportunities in London, citing singer Rabadaba as an example. "You can ask people like singer Rabadaba. I don’t think he’s ever done any music show in London." Despite these hardships, Kerekere remains hopeful about finding his footing in London and making a name for himself once again.