Barely a week after his dismissal from the Uganda Prisons Service (UPS), former warder Lawrence Ampe has joined the campaign trail of National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, to mobilise support for political change.
Ampe appeared alongside Bobi Wine on Saturday during a campaign engagement in Ngora District, where he addressed residents and urged them to speak out against poor governance and fear.
“We all know what is right, but many of you hide the truth. Keeping quiet does not help us keep jobs when Uganda is dying. Parents are paying school fees, yet their children cannot find jobs. With good governance, jobs will be there,” Ampe told the crowd.
The former prison officer said he was not bitter about losing his job, describing his dismissal as a turning point rather than a setback. He pledged to continue working closely with the people of Ngora, just as he had done during his time in the Prisons Service.
“I was happy when I was discharged from the prisons. It was always my prayer. You people of Ngora know me very well—we have been working together. In a new Uganda, I promise we shall work together even more. My people, stop fearing,” he said.
Bobi Wine welcomed Ampe to the campaign and commended him for what he described as a courageous and patriotic stand against injustice. He noted that Ampe’s decision to speak out reflects a broader struggle faced by many Ugandans within public service.
“At your age, many Ugandans do not realise that they can still contribute to their country. You had a government job and were comfortable, just as I was comfortable. But you cannot be comfortable alone when your brothers and sisters are suffering,” Kyagulanyi said.
The Uganda Prisons Service dismissed Lawrence Ampe, formerly attached to Ngora Prisons, for allegedly engaging in partisan politics and criticising the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) through social media platforms.
In a letter dated December 17, 2025, addressed to the Officer in Charge of Uganda Prisons in Ngora, the Prisons Council resolved to dismiss Warder No. 17974, Ampe Lawrence, from service with effect from December 9, 2025.
The incident has reignited debate over political expression by public officers and the boundaries between professional conduct and personal political beliefs ahead of the 2026 general elections.
