KAMPALA, UGANDA — Police in Katwe, a division of Kampala, have launched a manhunt for musician Patrick Mulwana, known as Alien Skin, in connection with the brutal murder of his former associate, Wilfred Namuwaya, popularly known as “Top Dancer.”
Namuwaya, a former member of Alien Skin’s Fangone Forest group, died at Mulago National Referral Hospital on Monday, two days after he was allegedly abducted and viciously assaulted.
According to police, Namuwaya was picked up from his residence in Ndeeba on Sept. 20 by a man identified only as Musomali, who is linked to the Fangone Forest group. He was then taken to a facility in the Makindye division, where police say Alien Skin ordered his team to “discipline” him for leaving the group without permission.
After the assault, the victim was left in the Mpomba zone. A good Samaritan found him and took him to the hospital, where he was admitted in critical condition.
A video widely circulated on social media shows Namuwaya lying on the ground, recounting to neighbors how he had been abducted and beaten by the group. Namuwaya also claimed that after assaulting him, his attackers hired a motorcycle taxi to take him back to his home in Ndeeba.
“The prime suspect is Patrick Mulwana, alias Alien Skin, together with his associates, identified as Commander Mdogo, Ibra Kabadiya and Mijagulo,” said Patrick Onyango, spokesperson for the Kampala Metropolitan Police, in a statement Tuesday. “Efforts are underway to have them arrested and prosecuted.”
Police noted that the Fangone Forest crew has been linked to a series of violent attacks on former members and other individuals in recent weeks, though many victims have feared reporting the incidents.
The police hunt for Alien Skin comes amid a public feud between him and fellow artist Joseph Mayanja, known as Chameleone. The rivalry escalated after Chameleone publicly criticized Alien Skin’s new song, “Kapati.”
