[1] P'Ojok, an ethnic Acholi, was born in Pupwonya, a rural community near Atiak trading centre in Kilak County, Amuru District.
[2] Together with Yonna Kanyomozi, Ephraim Kamuntu, Richard Kaijuka and other prominent Ugandans living in exile, p'Ojok founded the Save Uganda Movement (SUM), an anti-Idi Amin militant organization that subsequently united under the banner of Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF) with groups having a similar aim who, together with Tanzanian armed forces, removed Idi Amin in 1979.
[5][6][7][8] When political parties were being formed in preparation for the 1980 General Elections, p'Ojok vied for leadership of Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM),[9] but Yoweri Museveni was instead chosen for the post.
Akena p'Ojok then joined Uganda People's Congress (UPC), and became Member of Parliament for Gulu West Constituency, having beaten his main competitor, Anthony Ochaya of the Democratic Party.
In 1986, in the aftermath of the chaos which followed the coup, Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Army, which had been fighting against Obote's government for six years, seized power.