KAMPALA
UPC party president who doubles as Lira City East Division MP Jimmy Akena has issued a call to his supporters countrywide ahead of January 15 polls.
Akena, who didn’t secure the presidential nomination last year by the Electoral Commission, which cited legal reasons in the UPC, blames the NRM candidate (president) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for playing a role in stopping his presidential quest.
The Lira City East Division MP, Akena, if nominated, would be among Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (NRM), Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert (NUP), Nandala Mafabi James Nathan (FDC), Mugisha Gregory Muntu (ANT), Munyagwa Mubarak Sserunga (Common Man’s Party); Kasibante Robert (National Peasants Party); Bulira Frank Kabinga (Revolutionary People’s Party) and Mabirizi Joseph of the Conservative Party.
Like the nominated candidates, Akena would be hoping to end President Museveni’s 40 year reign over Uganda, but specifically to take UPC back to the national administration after his late father’s “Obote 1 and 2” leadership.
It’s worth recalling that since his nomination was stopped, Akena’s message calling his supporters not to vote for the incumbent went viral across platforms.
At a press conference at Uganda House on Kampala Road, Kampala, last year, Akena directed his supporters to “vote for any of the seven nominated presidential candidates” – except Museveni.
If they don’t want to vote for any of the seven, Akena asked his supporters to write his name on the ballot papers, and “vote for him.”
In a video clip, Akena appeared angry but determined to fight until the presidential votes are cast on January 15.
While he didn’t publicly and specifically endorse a particular candidate in that clip to beat President Museveni at the polls, it’s now exclusively known that he’s mobilising and telling his supporters to vote for candidate Kyagulanyi Sentamu Robert.
This can be corroborated by the fact that he, Akena, hosted Kyagulanyi at his father’s ancestral home in Akokoro, Apac District, on October 23, 2025. It was the first time Akena and Kyagulanyi sat closely during the most heated political times outside Kampala.
According to a source, the two leaders discussed “collaboration and winning strategies” for January.
After leaving Akokoro, where he also paid tribute to the late president Dr Apollo Milton Obote, Kyagulanyi addressed his supporters in West Lango.
President Museveni: “….I didn’t even know…”
In October, President Museveni denied blocking Akena from contesting. Speaking to the media on October 7, 2015, at Baralegi State Lodge in Otuke after his campaigns in Lango, Museveni was asked about Jimmy Akena’s disqualification to run for President and rumours that he had a role.
He answered: “Not at all. I didn’t even know Hon. Jimmy wanted….I just saw it in the papers. I didn’t know, then I got some information, I tried to check, found that it was merely legal problems on their side. It was legal, it was not political..”
