Former comedian Sammy Okanya, popularly known as Sammy from the once-celebrated comedy duo The Mighty Family, has come forward with a heartbreaking public appeal for help. Once a familiar face on Uganda’s comedy scene, Sammy is now struggling to survive, homeless, hungry, and in need of urgent medical care.
In a raw and emotional video circulating online, Sammy opened up about his desperate situation and the events that led him there. According to him, everything began to fall apart after he transitioned from comedy into political activism, aligning himself with the opposition party, the National Unity Platform (NUP).
“My life has completely changed since I joined politics,” Sammy said. “I’ve been arrested multiple times. My businesses collapsed. I lost everything. I don’t even know what’s next.”
The former comedian says that the repeated arrests not only ruined his reputation but also made it nearly impossible to restart his life. He claims that his association with NUP turned him into a target, and the support he expected from the party never fully materialized.
“I have reached out to Hon. Zaake, the NUP family, and everyone who should be responsible,” he said. “But I’ve been left in the dark. I haven’t eaten in four days. I’m weak. I don’t even know where to sleep.”
With visible pain in his voice, Sammy accused NUP legislator Hon. Francis Zaake of giving him false hope and misleading him at a time when he had nothing left.
“You, Hon. Zaake, you told me to use the little money I had to go to Kenya,” Sammy recounted. “You said I would be safe or find help there. But when I reached the border, I got stuck.”
He went on to say that after struggling at the border, he was eventually placed on a bus and sent back to Uganda—alone, broke, and with no communication from the very person who had encouraged the journey.
“You stopped picking my calls,” he said, addressing Zaake directly. “You left me in the cold. I came back to even worse conditions than before.”
Since returning, Sammy says he’s been living in misery. He also shared that he hasn’t received proper medical attention despite suffering severe beatings during his time in prison. His current state, he says, is a combination of untreated physical pain and mental exhaustion.
“I’m in pain every day,” he revealed. “The things I went through in prison left me with injuries that still hurt. But no one has stepped in to help. I can’t afford treatment. I can’t even afford food.”
Once a symbol of laughter and light for many Ugandans, Sammy’s fall from grace has exposed the harsh realities faced by activists and public figures who transition into politics without a strong support system. His plea isn’t just for charity—it’s a cry for dignity.
“I’m not asking for too much,” Sammy said. “I just need help to stand again. I need medical care. I need food. I need someone to care. That’s all.”
His message has sparked mixed reactions online, some calling for urgent support from NUP leadership, while others criticize the party for not protecting those who put their lives and careers on the line for a cause.
As Sammy’s story spreads, the hope is that those in power, and perhaps the very people he once fought alongside, will respond not with words but with action.
For now, Sammy remains in an uncertain place. But his voice, though weak, remains firm: “My life is going. I don’t know what’s next. But I’m still here. Just barely.”
