Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Sam Omara has died at 64, following a long struggle with prostate cancer and kidney failure. His son, Sam Omara Jr, confirmed the news.
Omara’s passing comes just days after Uganda Police refuted earlier reports of his death, stating he was critically ill but alive at the time.
Omara rose to national fame in 2011, during the Walk to Work protests led by opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye. As commander of the Field Force Unit, Omara became the symbol of the police’s hardline “preventive arrest” tactics, frequently deployed to suppress opposition activities.
His unit often camped outside Besigye’s residence in Kasangati for months. Disturbing reports from that time alleged that officers even relieved themselves on nearby farms, igniting widespread public outrage.
Omara relished media attention. His awkward smirk, often flashed during tense moments, became a trademark that many Ugandans found provocative.
To his supporters within government circles, Omara was a no-nonsense enforcer. Yet to many citizens, he epitomised the heavy-handedness that marred Uganda’s political climate in the early 2010s.
In his later years, Omara publicly apologised to Ugandans for the brutality associated with his leadership. Speaking candidly, he expressed deep regret over the excesses committed under his command.
After retiring from the police force in 2020, Omara briefly flirted with politics. However, he soon transitioned into private security, joining Capt Mike Mukula’s firm, Arrows Security Services. He often spoke with pride about his second career, once claiming to earn a “seven-figure salary.”
Despite his public success, Omara’s relationship with the institution he served soured. In interviews, he lamented feeling abandoned by the police force, a revelation that sparked mixed reactions across the country.
His death marks the end of a career inseparable from one of Uganda’s most politically volatile chapters. To some, he was a loyal officer who did his duty; to others, he was a symbol of state repression.
As Uganda reflects on Omara’s legacy, one thing is clear: he left an indelible mark on the nation’s modern political history.
