UPC Party Chairperson Jimmy Akena has announced that the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) will not be fronting a candidate for the 2021 Presidential elections.
Earlier on in a delegate’s conference held on August 1st, 2020, Jimmy Akena was voted as the Party’s Flagbearer. However, to the shock of many, the party spokesperson Ms. Sharon Arach Oyat during their weekly press briefing announced that Jimmy Akena had decided to opt-out of the Presidential Contest, a decision that left many wondering whether his party is still relevant and influential on the political scene.
“Running for the presidency isn’t just a matter of enjoying five minutes of fame but the target should be to win the polls.”
U.P.C. Party President, Jimmy Akena
Did this decision by the Uganda People’s Congress President shock the public?! Definitely not, although it did affirm a larger section’s disappointment in the leadership of Uganda’s Second oldest political Party formed in 1960 by Sir. Apollo Milton Obote. Obote is the father to the incumbent party President H.E. Jimmy Akena. Jimmy Akena became UPC’s President on 2nd July 2015, a regime that has been seasoned with nothing but fights and divisions among the party leaders and their supporters.
After the split of the Uganda National Congress (U.N.C.) into two factions, one faction was under the leadership of Obote and merged with Uganda People’s Union to form the Uganda People’s Congress (U.P.C.). To attain victory in the Independence Elections, UPC formed an alliance with the popular Kabaka Yekka, a partnership that won him the seat of Executive Prime Minister while his counterpart Kabaka Edward Mutessa II would become the ceremonial President of Uganda although this relationship did not last.
In 2006, U.P.C. through the late Sir Apollo Milton Obote’s wife, Ms. Miria Obote as the Party’s flag bearer contested against H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for Presidency and only managed to attain 57,071 votes (0.82%) countrywide. She would later be succeeded by former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Olara Otunu who only managed to convince 125,059 ( 1.58%) of the Electorate that he was fit to become President.
Under the leadership of Jimmy Akena in 2016, the Uganda People’s Congress did not contest for the highest position in this country and it now seems that the 2021 Presidential Elections won’t be any different for this old party.
