The Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) has warned former warder Lawrence Ampe over his public utterances following his dismissal from the force.
Last month, the Uganda Prisons Service dismissed the Ngora-based warder after videos he posted on social media accusing the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) of corruption and mismanagement went viral, sparking a national debate on free speech within the security forces.
“Regarding ex-warder Lawrence Ampe, he is hereby warned and reminded that he remains bound by the Code of Conduct and Ethics of the Uganda Public Service,” said Frank Baine, the Uganda Prisons Service spokesperson.
Ampe was attached to Ngora Prison before he was removed from service following a Prisons Council decision that took effect on December 9, 2025.
A letter dated December 17 instructed prison authorities to immediately enforce the dismissal and recover all government property in his possession.
“Treat this matter as urgent and important. A formal dismissal letter will follow,” the directive read.
Operating a TikTok account under the alias @COPAmpe, Ampe had been posting videos sharply criticising NRM leaders, accusing them of enriching themselves while ordinary Ugandans and lower-ranking security officers struggle to survive.
“Even the officers who call me privately know I’m speaking the truth. When they lock themselves in their rooms, they know this country is not going in the right direction,” Ampe said in one of the videos.
Baine said Ampe had earlier been summoned before the Prisons Disciplinary Committee in November, a move many observers now view as a precursor to his dismissal.
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from opposition figures, with National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, describing the dismissal as punishment for whistle-blowing rather than misconduct.
According to Kyagulanyi, Ampe was targeted for exposing alleged corruption, human rights abuses, abuse of authority, and systematic oppression of junior officers within the Prisons Service.
“While Ampe is fired, other security officers—especially in the military—regularly appear in the media openly praising the Museveni government and face no consequences. Many are instead rewarded,” Kyagulanyi wrote on X.
He said the incident exposes what he described as a double standard entrenched within Uganda’s security institutions.
“This is the system of oppression an NUP government will be committed to dismantling,” he added.
