The kidnappers held her captive for nearly three weeks, demanding up to $1 million before accepting about $200,000 (approximately UGX 700 million). During her captivity, they cut off two of her fingers and sent them alongside a video of her pleading for help to pressure her family into paying the ransom.
Akena referred to historical statements by President Museveni acknowledging the destruction of food supplies and the destitution of about 2.7 million people during that period. He argued that the loss of cattle deprived communities of daily nutrition, household income, school fees, draft power, and soil fertility, leaving effects that continue to be felt today.
“I don't want to hear that there is poverty in homesteads that have land and yet money is there at the parish level. If you are a minister and I come to your village and people are still suffering, I will sack you. I want to inform everybody that I have been monitoring and I don't want to embarrass mature people. The money is there on the ground; let's use it to get our people out of poverty,” Museveni said.
Leaders, therefore, need to be vigilant in holding schools and parents accountable for the children’s growing addiction to drugs because the country is losing promising youths to this dangerous vice. Sensitization and strict laws for underage drug consumption need to be enforced and implemented if the current young generation and the one to come are to live a more responsible and healthy life.