Uganda woke up to the sad news of the death of one of its most recognizable police officers, Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Sam Omalla.
Omalla, who once held the powerful position of Kampala’s police force Commander, passed away at the age of 64 at Mulago National Referral Hospital where he had battling Prostate Cancer and kidney failure . His death marks the end of a career that stirred admiration, criticism and national debate
ACP Sam Omalla wasn’t just another police officer. He was the face of state security during some of Uganda’s most turbulent political times, particularly the 2011 “Walk to Work” protests led by veteran opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye.
With his towering frame and commanding presence, Omalla became a symbol to some of law and order, to others of state repression.
He was the iron hand deployed to subdue dissent, ensure the streets of Kampala remained under government control and clamp down on opposition-led civil disobedience.
The 2011 Walk to Work protests fueled by soaring fuel prices and economic hardships, rocked the nation’s capital. Citizens, led by the opposition leaders like Dr. Kizza Besigye, chose non-violent marches to register their frustrations.
Wielding a no-nonsense approach and commanding Uganda’s police force, Omalla orchestrated large scale police operations that often ended in mass arrests, brutal beatings and the infamous pepper-spraying of opposition leaders.
For the government and its supporters, he was a patriot protecting public order. For opposition figures and human rights advocates, he was a symbol of Uganda’s oppresser.
Sources reveal that Omalla had been battling health complications for several months before his condition worsened. He breathed his last this morning at Mulago Hospital, surrounded by close family members.
As news of his death spread, reactions were sharply divided, a testament to the complex legacy he leaves behind.
Sam Omalla’s passing is more than just the death of a retired police officer. It’s a reminder of a turbulent chapter in Uganda’s political history, where state power and civic resistance collided.
His name is forever imprinted in Uganda’s political narrative, a complex figure who embodied the sharp tensions between state security and civil liberties.
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