Sammy Okanya has opened up about his recent arrest over an outstanding debt owed to a Kenyan businessman, acknowledging that he still has money to repay and saying he is working towards clearing the balance.
Speaking in a recent interview with Sanyuka TV, Sammy explained that the debt dates back to 2023, when he entered into a business partnership with a Kenyan businessman who dealt in jewellery.
According to Sammy, he owed the businessman KShs 10,000, which he said was equivalent to approximately UGX 37 million at the time. He revealed that he has since managed to repay about UGX 14 million, leaving part of the debt outstanding.
Sammy said the businessman had continued demanding the money, but his personal circumstances made it difficult to meet the repayment expectations.
“He has been demanding this money and unfortunately, it was around that time when I got arrested because of the Speaker’s issues,” he explained.
The media personality said his arrest and subsequent imprisonment for more than a year affected his ability to settle the debt. He added that he tried explaining his situation to the businessman, who eventually appeared to understand the difficulties he had faced.
However, Sammy suggested that his recent business activities may have created a different impression. He believes the Kenyan businessman could have assumed that his ventures were generating enough money for him to repay the debt, potentially leading to the latest confrontation.
Sammy maintained that he never denied owing the money and had always acknowledged his responsibility to repay it.
“I wouldn’t be able to pay him when in prison, so we made an agreement for how I’ll be able to pay him back his money,” he said.
He added that he had understood the potential consequences of leaving the debt unresolved and was aware that the outstanding obligation could eventually create problems for him.
His account offers an explanation of the financial dispute behind his recent arrest, while also highlighting how his period in prison affected his ability to meet existing business obligations.
Sammy says he remains committed to repaying the businessman under the arrangement they reached, although he did not provide a specific timeline for completing the payments.