Former comedian Sammy Okanya arrested over alleged debt

What the report says

Former Ugandan comedian and current pastor Sammy Okanya has reportedly been detained at Katwe Police Station over an alleged debt dispute linked to a $10,000 loan. Sqoop Uganda reported that the money was said to have been borrowed from a South Sudanese national and was allegedly used to support religious work, including missionary activity and crusades in Uganda and elsewhere.

According to the article, Okanya also said some of the funds were spent on overseas research intended to strengthen his ministry and his outreach to congregants. A representative for his ministry, Sama Senyonga, said Okanya was picked up at a recording studio in Kasubi after going there to work on a song. Senyonga added that the pastor had been contacting former promoters and friends from his entertainment days to help raise money to settle the alleged debt.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Racheal Kawala confirmed that Okanya had been arrested, saying the detention was part of an operation targeting crime. The report did not provide details on whether formal charges had been filed or on the status of the debt dispute. The case highlights how financial disagreements can spill into public controversy, especially when they involve well-known figures who have shifted from entertainment into ministry.