In an escalation of Uganda’s war on digital dissent, a prison officer with over 100,000 TikTok followers has been sacked and turned into a cause célèbre for “gross indiscipline” after using his social media account to accuse senior officials of corruption, human rights abuses and to campaign for the opposition in a country ruled by one man for four decades.
Lawrence Ampe, known online as @COP Ampe, was dismissed last Tuesday after a Prisons Council investigation into his viral videos. The official reason, according to spokesman Frank Baine, was “politicking in the wrong forum.” Uganda’s laws, Baine said, “don’t allow a public officer to participate in politics.” But the opposition and human rights groups see a different motive: the silencing of a powerful, grassroots critic just weeks before an election that could end President Yoweri Museveni’s 40-year rule.
A TikTok War Against the State
Ampe’s account became a digital battleground. He posted videos accusing senior prison officials of corruption and “mistreatment of lower-ranking officers.” More explosively, he used his platform to promote election campaign videos for Bobi Wine, the pop star-turned-politician who is the leading challenger to President Museveni in the January 15 elections.
After receiving his dismissal letter, Ampe posted it on TikTok with the caption: “I’m finally out free to support truth.” In another video, he brushed off concerns about his livelihood, stating, “What we are doing is not all about money but about liberating our nation.”
‘Systemic Oppression’ and Accusations of Double Standards
The move has ignited fierce condemnation. Bobi Wine himself defended Ampe, saying the officer was “exposing corruption, abuse of power, oppression of lower ranking officers and other evils.” He highlighted a glaring double standard: while Ampe is sacked, military officers regularly appear in the media expressing partisan support for Museveni without facing discipline.
The opposition labelled the dismissal evidence of “systemic oppression” within Uganda’s security sector. It fits a well-established pattern. Last July, a 24-year-old man was sentenced to six years in prison for insulting the president and his family on TikTok. A 2023 U.S. government report noted Uganda’s use of criminal punishments to restrict internet freedom.
Why This Matters
Lawrence Ampe’s case is a perfect snapshot of the global struggle between social media empowerment and authoritarian control. He transformed his smartphone into a microphone to challenge a system built on silence and hierarchy. The state responded by treating that microphone as a weapon.
The Prisons Service had warned him last month, citing laws that bar public officers from speaking to the media without permission. Ampe, showing what officials called a lack of “remorse,” posted anyway. His firing is a stark message to every other public servant with a social media account and an opinion: in Uganda, “politicking” is a privilege reserved for those in power.
The officer is now “free to support truth,” but he is also jobless and marked. The question is whether his 100,000 followers—and the broader movement for change in Uganda—see his sacrifice as a defeat or a rallying cry. In the countdown to the election, the battle for Uganda is being fought one TikTok video at a time.
