Akena Vs Walubiri: What next for UPC party?
Mr Peter Walubiri, constitutional lawyer
KAMPALA- Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) party held a delegates conference which saw Lira Municipality MP Jimmy Akena retain his position as party president amid a controversial suit filed by a faction led by Mr Peter Walubiri that was seeking to block the process.
On Wednesday last week, Mr Akena went to the Court of Appeal to push for the hearing of the appeal he filed after the same faction in December 2016 successfully challenged the legality of his presidency.
However, on Thursday, Court of Appeal Justices Elizabeth Musoke, Christopher Izama Madra and Irene Mulyangonja ordered Mr Akena and UPC not to hold the delegates conference.
Court also ordered the party not to spend any money in the bank accounts until the appeal is decided.
But Mr Akena’s faction ignored the court decision and went ahead to organise the delegates conference on Saturday at Kasangati Resort Hotel in Wakiso District.
“We have fought these wars and we are not about to stop. These people are fighting to see that the party’s ideologies which have been built for centuries are brought down. I will not allow this for as long as I still have some breath in my chest,” Mr Akena said.
But Mr Walubiri has questioned the legality of the delegates’ conference saying the members had their particulars forged by Mr Akena. He challenged Mr Akena to make public their list for audit of membership. “Nobody elected him to that position because most districts did not take back the forms he sent to them. The forms were accompanied with money,” Mr Walubiri alleged.
Mr Walubiri, who described the latest move as “contemptuous” accused Mr Akena of doing things that are contrary to the beliefs of his late father and former President Milton Obote.
Mr Mahmoud Kazimbiraine, the party’s electoral commission chairperson, said only 20 districts did not return the forms which had been sent to nominate Mr Akena as party president.
“At least 127 districts and seven cities had seconded Mr Akena as the president for the next five years. In other parties, they would have said he is unopposed but we went ahead to call for a delegates conference so that they confirm in attendance that we were a democratic party,” Mr Kazimbiraine said.
Shortly after being sworn in, Mr Akena announced a new team with whom he intends to steer the party ahead of the 2021 General Election.
Mr Fahad Kinyiri was named vice president, Mr Fred Ebil as secretary general, Mr Laurence Okae national chairperson, Mr Ben Bakabulindi as assistant secretary general, and Mr Maxwell Akora as treasurer, among others.
