By Ahmad Muto
Multi award-winning Hollywood actress charmed a number of Ugandans and tourism stakeholders on Friday, September 29, after a clip of her waxing lyrical about her experience in Uganda close to two decades ago went viral. It was her first time in Africa.
In the less-than-a-minute clip, she recollects her experience when she came to the Pearl of Africa to film multi-award-winning movie The Last King of Scotland, alongside Forest Whitaker as former president Idi Amin.
Washington, who acted as Kay Amin, one of Amin’s wives, said she had to separate herself from her American nationality and fully embrace being a Ugandan woman for the role.
“And I really did feel at home there. I felt so lucky to be able to be immersed in the culture. I was not there as a tourist. When I was there, I don’t know if you have heard of this experience, it is not in the book, but we were hiking in the Rwenzori mountains… and it’s where the wild gorillas live. You can go out with a gorilla tracker and find the gorillas in the jungle and spend time with them,” Washington said in an interview on one of America’s top-tier radio shows, The Breakfast Club, to talk about, among other things, her new book, Thicker Than Water.
The chief executive officer of the Uganda Tourism Board, Lilly Ajarova endorsed Washington’s message.
“Landed on this clip of Kerry Washington talking about Uganda, and that’s the motivation I need for today,” she captioned the less than a minute clip on X.
In September 2021 when the film turned 15, Washington had an interaction on X with Ugandan actress Cleopatra Koheirwe, who was one of the Ugandan talents part of the cast.
She posted: “15 years since the #LastKingOfScotland premiered! Wow.”
Cleo replied: Awwww happy 15 years to all of us #LastOfKingScotland cast and crew. I Miss you Kerry. It was a pleasure acting alongside you. Beautiful soul. Keep shining.”
At the time, Cleo told The Kampala Sun that that Washington liking her comment cheered up her gloomy day.
