For days in March 2023, Fredrick Namara Karuhanga lay unconscious after a brutal assault that nearly claimed his life.
Beaten, stripped of his property, and abandoned along the lakeshores of Mbeya Island in Mukono District, Namara says he survived only because marine soldiers intervened and rushed him for urgent medical attention. He remained in a coma for several days before regaining consciousness.
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Upon recovery, Namara opened a criminal case—now under court file 1324/2024—seeking justice for attempted murder, aggravated robbery, and assault.
However, in a dramatic twist that has stunned residents of Mukono, Namara himself was arrested on February 10, 2026, in connection with a matter he insists has no link to him.
Arrest Sparks Legal Questions
At the center of the controversy is senior Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer Major Mark Wanyama, who has publicly portrayed himself as a law-abiding citizen.
Yet police records and court documents contradict some of his claims. Available records indicate that Namara was never among the accused persons in a property destruction case registered under File No. CRB 442/2023. That file reportedly listed Juma Mukwana and others as suspects. Namara neither recorded a statement nor appeared in the file, which had already been sanctioned twice.
Despite this, he was arrested on February 10.
His lawyers have described the arrest as irregular and unlawful, alleging that police were pressured to act for appeasement purposes. They further argue that suggestions Namara had been in hiding are intended to intimidate him into abandoning his pending case against Wanyama’s camp.
Police spokesperson Racheal Kawala defended the decision to grant Namara bond, emphasizing that police bond is a constitutional right and does not signify the closure of investigations. She confirmed that the file has since been forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for legal guidance.
From Victim to Accused
The arrest has drawn particular scrutiny because Namara is officially recorded as a victim in a separate criminal file.
According to court documents and testimonies from Mbeya Island residents, he was attacked and beaten nearly to death by individuals allegedly linked to Wanyama’s camp. He was later rescued by marine officers and hospitalized.
Community members claim the incident is not isolated. Several residents reportedly suffered violence but chose silence out of fear.
If substantiated, these claims would suggest a troubling pattern of intimidation surrounding what began as a civilian land dispute.
The Seven-Acre Dispute
At the heart of the tensions lies a protracted land dispute over seven acres—Kyaggwe Block 494, Plot 9—on Mbeya Island.
Records show that businessman Jackson Twinamasiko purchased the land on November 6, 2019, from Francis Tyaba, a Ugandan resident in the United States who had granted power of attorney to Joyce Lutaaya. The land was reportedly bought for 70 million shillings.
Lutaaya is later said to have sold the same land to Major Wanyama.
Twinamasiko petitioned both the UPDF and the President, alleging forceful occupation by Wanyama and armed soldiers. Investigations by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and the Special Investigations Bureau (SIB) reportedly found Wanyama and other soldiers culpable. The matter is now before the UPDF Human Rights Department.
An interim court order restraining interference with the land was issued pending final determination of the suit. On October 21, 2022, the Office of the Inspector General of Police directed enforcement of the order. Despite reported resistance, enforcement was carried out in January 2024.
The civil case is currently before Justice Mary Kisakye Kaitesi and is scheduled to return to court in March.
Contradictions in the Murder Narrative
Major Wanyama recently appeared on various media platforms alleging that Namara orchestrated the demolition of his house under the direction of Twinamasiko. He claimed police had tracked Namara for three years before his recent arrest by the State House Land Protection Unit.
He also alleged that residents had been arrested and charged with serious offences, including murder, linked to claims of killing Namara—despite Namara being alive.
However, available records indicate that arrests on Mbeya Island were connected to the March 22, 2023 murder of 32-year-old fisherman Fred Ntambi at Kizaala Buganda village in Katosi Town Council.
Those arrested included Jackson Sebitosi (28), Bernard Mateke (36), Abdul Ssempiira (Mbeya LCI Vice Chairperson), Yasin Kasirye (Mbeya LCI Secretary), Richard Ngoobi, Annet Amuron, Sanyu Digonda, and Abdul Mugisha.
They were later granted bail after a key witness, Florence Namujju, reportedly declined to continue attending court sessions.
Alleged Threats in Court
In September 2023, while appearing before Mukono Chief Magistrate Roselyn Nsenge, Major Wanyama reportedly warned that he would “take a criminal path” if justice was not determined in his favor. The remarks were allegedly made after the magistrate cautioned him to testify carefully.
Court records further suggest that under oath, Wanyama allegedly admitted ordering Namara’s beating during an incident involving attempted murder and aggravated robbery, and expressed disregard for the rule of law. If verified, such statements could carry serious implications for a serving senior military officer.
Residents of Mbeya Island describe an atmosphere of fear. Some allege armed personnel were deployed in what began as a civilian land dispute. Others claim mediation efforts were frustrated and court orders resisted.
Although the house at the center of the demolition dispute remains abandoned, the legal and human consequences continue to unfold.
For Namara, surviving a near-fatal assault, emerging from a coma, and later facing arrest in a separate matter has intensified concerns that the criminal justice process may have been weaponized.
With the ODPP reviewing the files, the UPDF Human Rights Department examining findings from CMI and SIB, and the civil suit returning to court in March, the case may set important precedents on accountability within Uganda’s security forces.
What began as a seven-acre land transaction worth 70 million shillings has evolved into a complex web of torture allegations, contested arrests, murder investigations, stalled mediation efforts, and claims of witness interference.
