KAMPALA, Uganda: Police in Katwe have launched a full-scale investigation into the brutal killing of 27-year-old Wilfred Namuwaya, better known by his stage name “Top Dancer,” who died on September 22 at Mulago Hospital after being savagely beaten and left for dead.
Namuwaya, a former member of the notorious Fangone Forest crew, was abducted from his home in Ndeeba on the night of September 20 by an associate identified only as Musomali. Sources say he was forcibly taken to a wooded area linked to the group, where he faced a violent tribunal for what insiders claim was “deserting the forest without permission.”
According to preliminary police findings, the beating was allegedly ordered by Fangone Forest ringleader Patrick Mulwana, infamously known as “Alien Skin.” Multiple witnesses say Mulwana commanded his loyalists, including individuals known only by street aliases Commander Mdogo, Ibra Kabadiya, and Mijagulo to “discipline” Namuwaya.
The group reportedly beat him severely and later dumped his body in Mpomba Zone, barely alive.
A good Samaritan discovered the unconscious dancer and rushed him to Mulago Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries two days later.
Police spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan, Patrick Onyango confirmed the murder probe, saying authorities are actively pursuing the suspects.
He also acknowledged that the Fangone Forest gang has been linked to a disturbing string of assaults over the past two weeks, most of them unreported due to widespread fear of retaliation.
“This is no longer just a dance group. It’s turning into an organized gang intimidating and assaulting anyone who leaves or speaks out,” a police source told this reporter under condition of anonymity.
As Namuwaya’s family prepares to bury their son, pressure mounts on police to dismantle what some now call a “forest of fear.”
Anyone with information about the suspects’ whereabouts is urged to contact Katwe Police immediately.
“The police are working to apprehend the suspects, including Mulwana Patrick, alias Alien Skin, and others identified as Commander Mdogo, Ibra Kabadiya, and Mijagulo. The Fangone Forest gang has reportedly been involved in assaulting former subscribers and others over the past two weeks, with many victims fearing to report due to by potential harm,” Onyango said in a statement.
