A Ugandan prison officer has lost his job after sharing videos on TikTok that criticised government officials and expressed support for opposition leader Bobi Wine.
The officer’s actions, which authorities described as a serious breach of discipline, have ignited debate over political expression and accountability within Uganda’s security services.
Lawrence Ampe had posted content accusing senior government figures of corruption, human rights violations, and mistreatment of junior prison staff. His online activity also included campaign material for Bobi Wine, who is aiming to challenge President Yoweri Museveni in the upcoming January 15 elections.
The Uganda Prisons Service said the dismissal was necessary because public officers are barred from participating in political matters, especially in public forums such as social media.
Last month, Ampe and other officers had been warned against posting political content online, but he reportedly continued sharing videos, prompting the authorities to take further action.
"The standing orders don't allow a public officer to participate in politics, which he is doing even now," prisons spokesman Frank Baine told the BBC, adding that Ampe’s firing was a result of "politicking in the wrong forum."
Ampe shared his dismissal letter on TikTok, writing: “I'm finally out free to support truth.” In another video, he reassured his followers about his future, saying: “What we are doing is not all about money but about liberating our nation.”
He explained that he used his platform, which has over 100,000 followers, to expose officials allegedly involved in corruption and abuse of power, while encouraging citizens to be patriotic and demand accountability.
Bobi Wine and his party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), condemned the dismissal, calling it evidence of selective enforcement within Uganda’s security sector. Wine highlighted that other officers, especially in the military, openly support President Museveni without facing any consequences.
"For using social media to expose the abuse of human rights, corruption, abuse of power, oppression of lower-ranking officers and other evils within the Uganda Prisons Service, officer Ampe has been rewarded with a dismissal," Wine said.
Wine added that his party seeks to establish a professional and impartial security service where laws are applied equally and patriotic officers are protected rather than punished for standing up for integrity.
"In the New Uganda, we shall build a professional, non-partisan security sector that respects and applies the law equally. We shall build a Uganda that hears and protects patriotic public servants like Ampe instead of hounding them out of their jobs for choosing integrity over 'safety," he said.
Following the dismissal, the Prisons Council instructed Ampe to return all state property. The episode underscores long-standing concerns over freedom of expression in Uganda, where authorities have repeatedly restricted criticism of government actions.
In 2023, a US report highlighted restrictions on internet freedom in the country, and rights groups continue to condemn human rights violations. Last July, a 24-year-old man was sentenced to six years in prison for a TikTok video deemed insulting to the president and the first family, despite his plea for forgiveness.
