By Gladys Mukisa. Saturday 15 November, 2025.
Security experts have warned against the possibility by the Uganda Prisons Authorities of hounding their infamous staff Lawrence Ampeirwe aka Ampe who accused them of being partisan, out of the prisons service.
Ampe a prison warder No. 17974, stationed in Ngora -Teso Sub region, gained prominence earlier this month when he publicly chose to expose what has come to be described by many people as un just practices by his bosses in the force through recorded videos on his Tik Tok account.
In some of those viral video recordings, the visibly courageous Ampe is pinning his bosses for wrongly siding with the ruling NRM party to oppress and suppress the critical voices in the country especially the opposition actors yet they are supposed to exercise neutrality, which sets a very dangerous precedent to the country.
He is also heard and seen criticizing them for ignoring the plight of the junior serving officers including poor housing facilities and welfare, which explains the current discontent among the force.
That has ever since prompted the authorities through its spokesperson, senior Commissioner of Prisons Frank Baine, to issue a stern warning to errant officers in a November 7, 2025 statement, saying, videos made by the officer portrayed gross indiscipline and violated the Uganda Public Service Code of Conduct and Ethics.
Baine added Ampe would be subjected to a disciplinary action including facing an ejection from the prisons service.
However, security experts say that ejecting Ampe from the service under the current situation has several implications.
Security expert Fred Egesa underscores the need for creation of an Internal Barrazas where officers like Ampe can be let go to address issues affecting them even if against the president, and be taken in good faith by the powers that be.
Egesa however, urges that such platforms should not be used as a breach to abuse the president.
He notes that there is no system without flaws in life even if in the USA, but how discontent is dealt with is what matters. “There is what we call fall in, if he thought the prison is full of flouts the first thing to do, is to resign and you become a public person, laws would not apply” Egesa said.
The public is now eagerly waiting to see how Ampe’s- prison authority’s conundrum ends.
