UPC Wrangles: Walubiri insist Akena must vacate office

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Peter Walubiri, the president of a faction of Uganda People’s Congress-UPC party has described the actions of his rival Jimmy Akena as kicks of a dying horse. According to Walubiri, Akena should wake up from his dream and vacate the UPC offices at Uganda House, which he illegally occupied.

It comes after a three-member panel of Court of Appeal Justices comprising Irene Mulyagonja, Christopher Madrama Izama and Elizabeth Musoke nullified Akena’s presidency and ordered fresh polls for the election of a legitimate leader.

The judges noted that since there have never been lawful elections by UPC for the last five years, Olara Otunnu, who retired in 2015 remains the defacto party president. They ordered Akena to refrain from conducting any party activities and financial accounts of the party. 

However, Akena said the judgment had been overtaken by events because it came after the expiry of his 2015 term of office that was being challenged. Walubiri will not have any of this. He says the judgment clearly stated that the party should conduct fresh elections and that it didn’t limit its orders to the 2015 presidency. 

He says they are determined to ensure that the court order is respected and Akena vacates office.     

Prior to the judgment, the Court of Appeal had issued an injunction on July 29th, 2020 halting a delegate’s conference organised by Akena. However, Akena went ahead and conducted the election on August 1st, 2020, saying he was served late. It is at his conference that his term was renewed for another 5 years. 

Walubiri says the actions of Akena were in contempt of court, which makes his new term null and void. He told URN that they expect to revise their roadmap by this week for the election of party candidates. According to Walubiru, three party members have expressed interest in contesting for the party presidency.

Walubiri says they have already started mobilising their members for the delegate’s conference.

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URN

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