Despite stand-up comedy being perhaps the purist form of performance art, Rwandans did not appreciate this art form that much until recently when comedians from across East Africa – mainly from Uganda and Kenya – started a regular gig in Kigali. The Kings of Komedy show, sponsored by MTN Rwanda, has become a major crowd puller on Kigali’s social calendar. Which begs the question: now that comedy is fast-becoming a popular form of art in Kigali, how can we promote our own comedians? "Rwandans should join hands and support their own stars. If we didn’t get support back home, we would not be known here and we would not be able to cross boarders just in the name of comedy,” says Ann Kansiime, one of the most popular comedians from Uganda.And according to Patrick ‘Salvador’ Idiringi, the only thing missing in Rwanda’s comedy is lack of support from both the media and local communities."A comedian is ‘killed’ when he spends months preparing a jock, only to crack it on stage and no one laughs. That is the time when a comedian feels like dying on stage,” he says.