Jimmy Akena

Seven candidates nominated for Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party presidency say that are not scared of the former party president’s son Jimmy Akena in this race. This follows the son of late Milton Obote forcing the party president Olara Otunu to ignore the party election guidelines and allow him, Jimmy Akena, to be nominated for the party president race a few days after the nomination exercise closed.

Addressing a news conference at parliament a group of seven UPC nominated candidates led by the Member of Parliament for Moroto County, Benson Obua Ogwal said that they are ready to take on Jimmy Akena and are confident one of them will defeat him. The group said that it was passable for Otunu to violate the party election guidelines to enable Jimmy Akena to contest because it will help the party members unify.

However, the UPC national chairman Edward Kakonge said that Jimmy Akena is not fit to be the party president because he is moving in the shadow of his late father instead of having his own identity.

UPC was once headed by Akena’s father Dr. Milton Obote and his mother Miria Kalule Obote; both stood for Ugandan presidency. Nominated candidates for UPC top post include Benson Obua Ogwal, Sam Wandeka, Joseph Bossa, Julius Ochan, David Pulkal, Edward Kakonge, Dan Okello and Jimmy Akena.