Jimmy Akena, Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) Party President addressed the press in Gulu City, January 31, 2025 (File photo).
Jimmy Akena, leader of Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party, says he is ready to contest for President against incumbent President Yoweri Museveni in the next parliamentary and presidential polls slated for Feb. 13, 2026.
“President Museveni has nothing to offer to Ugandans after 40 years in power, “My appeal to the people of Uganda, let us guard against vote rigging, stuffing ballot boxes, sensitizing our voters to turn up in big numbers as part of strong anti-election rigging.”
GULU CITY- FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2025
By Livingstone Okumu Langol
Jimmy Akena, the son of Dr. Apollo Milton Obote founding father of 1962 Uganda independence declared in Gulu City during a press conference that he is ready to wrestle power from President Yoweri Museveni in the forthcoming presidential polls, Feb. 13, 2026.
“I want to embark on the grassroots mobilization by registering all the UPC supporters as part of civic education. “I am organizing myself and the position of the party, the UPC will improve the standard of life and quality life of Ugandans. “As UPC our party does not revolve around personality,” The UPC party president asserted.
A question was put to him why he has himself overstayed at the helm of his party presidency, calling for a new party mandate, and that Uganda Court of Appeal had, 2020, ruled that his term as party president had expired.
Jimmy Akena claimed that he had so many party loyalists whom he could not abandon, adding that the backing he gets in parliamentary polls suggest how popular he is as a leader. Akena has since 2016 been standing as a member of parliament for Lira, and winning four times in a row; in 2006 against the late Cissy Atim Ogwal, in 2011 against Sam Engola, in 2016 against Awich Pollar and in 2021.
As to whether he thinks he will win the presidential polls while facing intimidation from the militant President Yoweri Museveni come 2026, Akena quipped that he would do everything in his power to surmount the pressures.
“I will do everything to block the rigging. “Let me put it in this way, if there is an examination to take place in primary school, and the pupils were left free to do the examination without invigilators or supervisors do you think their exams will not be cheated?” the UPC party president posed the questions.
He noted that many times in by-elections his party, UPC, has been beating Museveni’s system of rigging, especially in Lango Sub-region where UPC has strong party structure.
“We had a recent by-election in Oyam North in 2022 after Col. Okello Engola Macodwogo, the state minister for Defense died and had to be replaced and my party triumphed over the NRM candidate despite massive vote rigging by the ruling party,” Akena informed.
“In the by-election in 2023, when Hon. Cissy Atim Ogwal the MP for Dokolo Women died, her daughter contested to take over from her under the FDC flag, but again the UPC candidate managed to win despite massive vote rigging and stuffing of ballot boxes,” Akena added.
As to why he could not buy in to the idea being floated by the FDC-Katonga leader, Rtd. Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye, that the presidential polls should be boycotted by the opposition, Jimmy Akena said he was never for the boycott.
“The footmark of UPC can be seen, for example, all the hospitals built during Dr. Obote I government, all the primary and secondary schools built during UPC I government speak for themselves. “President Museveni’s NRM government is only renovating all the structures built by Dr. Apollo Milton Obote,” Akena claimed.
“Secondly, Ugandans had reached middle income level in 1970 when Ugandan Dictator Idi Amin, the then Uganda Army Commander took over power from the UPC government, Uganda was better than the Tiger countries. “But look, Ugandans now wallow in poverty,” said Akena.
“There is a strategic plan by the NRM government to destroy Uganda Public Service through nepotism and Oligarchy. “Uganda Development Cooperation (UDC) which had 37 industries has been sold to those who are either business associates to the ruling power, their proxies or to those who are in governance,” Akena stressed.
“The education sector, health sector, agricultural sector, tourism and Uganda hotel sector have all been sold to those with the incumbent government as their patron. “Ugandans are being pushed and relegated to become slaves in their own country while foreigners take over everything. “Those are the bargaining power of the UPC, its campaign strategy while handling NRM on policy issues,” Akena asserted further.
“There are social issues, we shall give opportunities to citizens of Uganda to act as citizens of Uganda, I want Ugandans to have a voice. “We have challenges with the ruling NRM government, even the monetary policy and policy on Citizenship are driven by foreigners, and these need to change,” Akena said.
Early on in the day, the UPC party president had attended the memorial service of the late Mrs. Pauline Lukwayi, the former deputy mayor for Gulu Municipality who was a staunch supporter of the UPC party at Christ Church in Gulu City.
