Ugandan comedian Sammy Okanya, popularly known as Sammy Da Mighty Family, has made an emotional public appeal, accusing the National Unity Platform (NUP) of abandoning him while he remains stranded and sick in Kenya.
In a now-viral video circulating widely on social media, a visibly distressed and frail Sammy claimed he is “on the verge of death” after months of exile, with no access to food or medical assistance.
His plea has reignited national debate on how political movements treat their frontline supporters, particularly those who risk their safety and livelihoods for political causes.
“My people, I am in very bad shape. I am very hungry and starving. I want to let people know that my political party ignored me, yet they are the ones that told me to leave the country and go to Kenya. If I die, I want to serve as an example to everyone in the struggle,” Sammy said in the video.
Once a prominent figure in Uganda’s comedy scene, Sammy rose to fame through the Mighty Family comedy duo. His strong social media presence became a platform for political mobilization during the 2020 general elections, where he actively campaigned for NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine.
According to Sammy, his involvement in protests and opposition activism drew the attention of security agencies, resulting in repeated arrests and threats. He says he was personally advised by Kyagulanyi to flee the country for his own safety.
However, life in exile has proven even more difficult.
“I want to let people know that my political party ignored me. They told me to leave, and I left, but ever since, I have had no help, no food, no medicine, nothing,” he lamented.
Sammy further claims that NUP had pledged financial support to sustain him while in Kenya—support he says never materialized. Despite multiple attempts to reach senior party officials, he alleges that no one has responded.
His revelation has prompted wider public discourse, particularly online, about the welfare of political activists and mobilizers who take personal risks in support of opposition parties.
While some NUP supporters have expressed sympathy and pledged solidarity, others have criticised the party for using young, passionate individuals during campaign periods and later neglecting them.
Sammy’s situation has become so dire that he has issued a public appeal to musician Bebe Cool, a known supporter of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and a figure Sammy previously criticised for his political stance. The appeal has drawn parallels with several high-profile figures who once aligned with the opposition but eventually defected to the ruling party.
Names such as Full Figure, Bucha Man, Ronald Mayinja, Ashburg Kato, Basajja Mivule, and, most recently, Muyanga Lutaaya—who left the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) to pick NRM nomination forms—have been cited as precedents.
In response to Sammy’s viral video, some activists have launched online fundraising efforts to cater to his immediate needs, including food and healthcare.
Meanwhile, the controversy continues to spark heated exchanges on social media over NUP’s approach to grassroots mobilizers.
Defenders of the party argue that not all participants in the political struggle do so for selfless reasons, while critics point to Sammy’s case as symptomatic of a broader issue within Uganda’s opposition politics.
