UPC fronts ‘Uganda’s only human asset’ , Akena to uproot Museveni

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Ocen’s Kwania District counterpart, Geoffrey Alex Ogwal, urged every Ugandan, including those who subscribe to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, to bank their hope in Akena.

Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) leadership in Lango Sub-region, northern Uganda, has fronted their party leader to dislodge President Museveni in the forthcoming 2026 general elections.

Mr Jimmy Akena, the son of two-time president Apollo Milton Obote, was unveiled during a conference convened for regional UPC leaders and members in Lira City on Friday, April 18, 2025.

Party leaders and district chairpersons who subscribe to the opposition UPC said they endorsed Akena because they look at him as the only source of hope for the people of Uganda.

Amolatar LC5 chairman, Mr Geoffrey Ocen said Mr Akena is the only person who can restore sanity in the whole of Uganda.

“On behalf of the UPC members and all persons of goodwill, I fully endorse the candidature of Jimmy Akena Obote for the position of president of the Republic of Uganda,” he said.

Mr Akena is the current Lira East MP.

“We are doing so because we look at him as the only source of hope for the people of Uganda, as the only person that can restore sanity in the whole of Uganda, as the only person who can make us who live along the lake shore to fully benefit from the God-given resources from the lake,” he said.

Mr Ocen further said it’s only through Mr Akena that the survivors of the two-decade insurgency in northeastern Uganda would be fully compensated for their lost livestock.

“Our cattle used to be our bank. If you wanted to go to school, you would just sell your animal; if you wanted to go to the hospital, you would sell your cow, you sell your bull, but the wealth of the people of northern Uganda all disappeared,” he added.

“But through him, we strongly believe we can get back to our original position. We can be able to send our children to school, get better health care services. This country, Uganda, once again will be a country for all the people of Uganda, irrespective of religion or tribe.”

Ocen’s Kwania District counterpart, Geoffrey Alex Ogwal, urged every Ugandan, including those who subscribe to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, to bank their hope in Akena.

“We are not saying President Museveni has not done anything. He has done his part. Just like any other human being, there are both weaknesses and strengths. The strength, we say thank you to him, but the areas of weakness, we want Akena Obote to take over from there,” said Kwania LC5 chairman, also a UPC party member.

According to Ogwal, UPC – one of the oldest political parties in the country – does not believe in revenge.

“We will never take revenge but what we want to do as a party under the leadership of Akena Obote is to start from where President Museveni ended and rebuild our country,” he said.

“Local government, which is the centre of service delivery, has always been allocated less than 9% of the national budget where we are getting a lot of issues. Right now, the whole world has just realised that there was Shs100 million given to individual Members of Parliament, yet the Parish Development Model (PDM) is giving a parish of more than 2,000 people the same amount of money. So, we want to improve on the service delivery for the people of Uganda through Akena.”

David Kennedy Odongo, Alebtong LC5 chairman, read on the same line.

“What our country needs right now is a leader that will work for the common man, a leader that will ensure that everybody has equal opportunity for good health care, and create peace, reconcile and unite the country,” he said.

Lango UPC regional leaders and party members sing party anthem after endorsing Mr Jimmy Akena for presidency in the upcoming elections at Akena's residence in Lira City on April 18, 2025. PHOTO/ BILL OKETCH

“All those things which I have stated are only exhibited in Hon Jimmy Akena Obote. And on that note, we are appealing to all Ugandans that Akena is a special gift that God has given to this country, to shape this country, to take the country from where the current president will stop.”

William Onyanga, UPC national party mobiliser, said Akena would provide Uganda a new path for democracy, where even members of the press will be free to operate in the country.

“One of the vital tools for socio-economic development is to promote press freedom. It is only Uganda People's Congress that can give freedom to the press to market our socio-economic advancement,” he said.

“I now invite the press to continue marketing Uganda People's Congress because we are the only people who are going to fix the rights and dignity of the people of Uganda.”

Mr Chris Ongom, Oyam District vice chairman, also Lango regional UPC vice chairman, said the party leadership in Lira City East, Lira City, on Good Friday handed Akena over to him for onward submission to the upcoming Delegate Conference of Uganda People's Congress this coming August.

“After thorough deliberation and unanimous consensus, we hereby declare Hon. Jimmy James Michael Akeno Obote as the sole candidate for the Uganda People's Congress party president in the forthcoming 2026 election in the Delegate Conference, and thereafter, the flag bearer to stand as the president of the Republic of Uganda,” said Ongom.

“Recognising his visionary leadership, commitment to the party values and the tremendous progress achieved under his stewardship, we strongly believe that Akena Obote remains the best torchbearer to lead UPC into a brighter and more united future of Uganda.”