Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Sam Omalla has died at the age of 64, his son Sam Omara Jr has confirmed. Omara, who had been battling prostate cancer and kidney failure, passed away after a long period of illness.
His death comes just days after police dismissed earlier reports of his demise, saying he was still alive but in critical condition. Omara rose to national prominence in 2011 as commander of the Field Force Unit during the Walk to Work protests, a series of demonstrations led by opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye.
Omara became the face of the police’s controversial “preventive arrest” strategy, which was used to curtail the movement of opposition figures.
His unit was often stationed outside Besigye’s residence in Kasangati for months, with reports at the time alleging that police officers even resorted to relieving themselves in nearby farms, sparking public outrage.
He grabbed media attention and enjoyed the cameras, often speaking with an awkward smirk that mocked those he policed.
While Omara was hailed in some government circles as a tough enforcer, many Ugandans accused him of heavy-handedness.
In his later years, Omara publicly apologised to Ugandans for the brutality associated with his leadership during that period, expressing regret for the excesses committed under his watch.
After retiring from the Uganda Police Force in 2020, Omara flirted with the idea of joining politics before eventually joining Captain Mike Mukula‘s private security industry, Arrows Security Services.
He often spoke with pride about his post-retirement success, once boasting that he was earning a seven-figure salary.
Despite his long service, Omara later complained about feeling abandoned by the very institution he had served loyally, comments that drew mixed reactions from the public.
His passing marks the end of a career that, for many Ugandans, remains closely tied to one of the country’s most politically charged eras.
