President Yoweri Museveni has appointed Samuel Akena as Deputy Commissioner General of Prisons, replacing James Mwanjje who tenure of service in the Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) expired on May 12 this year after the expiry of his contract.
Akena now waits to be vetted by parliament and officially become deputy to Dr Johnson Byabashaija. Frank Baine the spokesperson for UPS confirmed Akena’s appointment and added that the institution is privileged to have him as the second in command because of his more than 30 years’ experience.
UPS records show Akena is now 59 years old and joined the force in 1987 which was a year after Museveni had captured power. By the time Akena completed his Cadet course, Joseph Etima, who retired prison work in 2005 and handed over the mantle to Byabashaija was the Commissioner General of Prisons. Etima died in 2018.
Baine explains that Akena’s first major assignment was in 1989 when he was appointed deputy commander of Murchison Bay Prison in Luzira. Akena was in 1993 appointed officer in charge of UPS’ Lugore farm in Gulu district where he narrowly survived ambushes, abductions and shootings by rebels of Lord’s Resistance Army under the command of Joseph Kony.
Etima in 1997 appointed Akena officer in charge UPS farm in Tororo and from here he was moved to command Isimba farm in Midwestern Uganda which is in Masindi district. Etima later elevated Akena to Assistant Commissioner in Charge of UPS training in 2004 a position he held up to 2009.
Byabashaija who had taken over from Etima in 2005, found it vital and necessary to appoint Akena head of UPS administration and farm inspection. He held this position from 2009 to 2012.
In 2012, Byabashaija assigned Akena commissioner in charge of support services up to 2016. He was later moved to head the directorate of special duties in the office of Commissioner General of Prisons.
Akena was two years ago promoted to Assistant Commissioner General of Prisons which is the equivalent of Assistant Inspector General of Police –AIGP in the Uganda Police Force or 4-star general in the army. If successfully vetted and approved by parliament this week, Akena will become second in command of UPS.
Before joining UPS, Akena graduated with a bachelor’s degree in science specializing in Geography, Zoology and Botany from Makerere University. He did his post-graduate diploma in public administration at Uganda Management Institute over 25 years ago.
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