Nakaseke herdsman recounts brutal torture ordeal
Samuel Nuwamanya, a 33-year-old herdsman from Kirinda village in Nakaseke district, moves with visible discomfort.
Each step is a reminder of the trauma he endured on Christmas day 2023—when, he alleges, a soldier from the elite Special Forces Command (SFC) brutally tortured him. “I feel like my body is breaking apart,” Nuwamanya said.
“I can’t stand for long without feeling like my lower body is detaching.”
His scars are both physical and emotional. One lies just below his right ear; another marks the base of his spine. These wounds, he says, were inflicted by a soldier who hammered six-inch nails into his body during a violent political altercation. The alleged attack has left him permanently scarred and struggling to survive. Once a successful cattle keeper with 30 cows, Nuwamanya has lost everything.
“My children are out of school because all the money went to hospital bills. I can’t even return home because I keep receiving threats,” he said.
He now lives in hiding, grappling with chronic pain and fear for his safety. The incident occurred as he returned from a trading centre with farm workers from a ranch managed by Sergeant Medard Besigye.
A political debate erupted along the way, escalating quickly. Besigye, reportedly dressed in full SFC uniform, intervened, pretending to mediate— but instead unleashed violence. Nuwamanya recounts how Besigye demanded his grazing stick.
When he complied, Besigye and others allegedly attacked him, driving one nail beneath his right ear and out the left side of his head. They then drove a second nail into the base of his spine.
“They tried to hammer a third nail, but his wife begged for my life,” Nuwamanya recalled.
He was initially taken to a nearby clinic, but his condition was critical. He was referred to Mulago national referral hospital, and later to Nakasero Hospital for specialised care. After a 10-day stay, a team of 12 doctors from both hospitals conducted a complex surgical procedure at Mulago to remove the embedded nails.
Though the surgery was successful, the long-term damage was irreversible. Three weeks after the incident, Sergeant Besigye was arrested and charged with aggravated torture before Nakaseke Magistrate’s court. His next court appearance is scheduled for tomorrow. The SFC has since distanced itself from the matter.
“This was not related to any military activity,” said Major Jimmy Omara, SFC spokesperson. “He was arrested by police, and we support the ongoing legal process. He committed this offense as an individual.”
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in 2019 signed into law the Human Rights Enforcement Act, criminalising torture and providing for the personal liability of perpetrators. The law followed widespread outcry over abuses in state custody and was seen as a step toward greater accountability.
Yet, Nuwamanya’s experience shows how the journey to justice remains fraught with challenges. He has appealed to the president and to Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba to intervene in his case—seeking not just accountability, but also medical support. Despite judicial progress, he remains vulnerable.
“They still send threats. I can’t go back. I don’t know what else to do,” he says, voice trembling.
His plea is a cry not only for himself, but for others who suffer silently after incidents of torture. As the case unfolds in court, Nuwamanya waits—injured, impoverished and desperate—for healing and justice in equal measure. His story underscores the human cost of unchecked power, and the urgent need to ensure that laws meant to protect citizens are upheld in practice, not just on paper.