I will become president in 2021 - Akena

UPC presumptive president Jimmy Akena (aboard red car) is welcomed to Lira Town by his supporters at the weekend. PHOTO BY Bill Oketch.

What you need to know:

Long way. Mr Akena said he will use the five years as UPC president to prepare for the road to State House in 2021

Lira:

Lira Municipality MP Jimmy Akena has vowed to work towards taking power and occupy State House as the country’s president in 2021.

Mr Akena is the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) presumptive president after he was recently controversially elected by a meeting of party delegates that had convened for a consultative meeting.

“There are those who have said Akena is fearing [to run for presidency]. I am the first to declare that in 2021, I am going to State House,” he told a rally at Mayor’s Garden in Lira Town at the weekend.

Outgoing UPC president Olara Otunnu in July denounced Mr Akena over what he described as his forceful entry into Uganda House. He demanded that Mr Akena vacates the party’s head office to enable Mr Otunnu’s cabinet work on the modalities for the party’s delegates conference.

Mr Akena, who is son of former Uganda president Milton Obote, however, insists he is the rightful party president. He told the rally that in the next five years, he will be preparing for the journey to lead the country.

“I said it before; I want to go to State House. I want UPC to be the government of Uganda,” he told his supporters.
Mr Akena said he will not pick up arms to force his way to State House, but that “UPC has always gone to State House through the gate.”

For his dream to come true, Mr Akena urged UPC members to re-organise the party from the grassroot to the top.

Political family
Mr Akena’s elder brother, Bishop Edward Stanley Engena- Maitum, has joined the race for the presidency in the 2016 election.
Bishop Engena- Maitum, who currently lives abroad, said he has joined the race as an independent.