“Is This a Joke?” Pablo’s Birth Story That Predicted His Comedy Career

Some comedians work hard to perfect their craft, while others seem to be born with humor flowing naturally through them.

Ugandan veteran comedian Kenneth Kimuli, popularly known as Pablo, believes he belongs to the latter group.

Speaking on the Mind Your Head Podcast, Pablo traced his sense of humor back to his family, saying comedy has always been part of his DNA.

Being funny runs in the family. My dad was very hilarious. Even the circumstances under which I was born show that. I think it runs in the DNA. I always tell people I knew I would become a comedian the day I was born. When I was born, my father entered the maternity ward and asked, ‘Is this a joke?’

He explained that his father’s reaction was shaped by expectation.

Pablo was born after four girls, and at the time, there was no way of knowing a baby’s gender before birth.

The reason he reacted like that was because I followed four girls. At the time, there was no technology to know the gender of a baby before birth, so he always went to the hospital carrying dresses. When he saw me, he asked, ‘Is this a joke?’

The story only gets funnier from there.

According to Pablo, the excitement of finally getting a boy overwhelmed his father in the most unexpected way.

According to my aunties who were there, he was so happy that he ran out of the maternity ward and accidentally entered the mortuary, thinking it was the exit. He found people resting in peace. And that is a true story.

Beyond that memorable birth story, Pablo says entertainment has always been present in his family.

His mother and siblings were active in school entertainment, creating an environment where creativity thrived.

My mum was an entertainment prefect when she was at Tororo Girls. Two of my sisters were also entertainment prefects in school. My first cousin Kwezi Kaganda is the one who introduced me to theatre. So I think it runs in our blood.

With a hilarious welcome into the world and a family in entertainment, Pablo was always meant to be a comedian.