Akena Defends Obote Legacy, Calls for Focus on Uganda’s Children

What the report says

Nile Post reports that Uganda People’s Congress President Jimmy Akena used a press briefing to defend the record of former President Milton Obote, while also urging Ugandan leaders to move attention toward current problems affecting children. Akena rejected recent criticism of Obote’s leadership and said the former president’s speeches and political record showed support for unity, democracy and equal rights rather than the negative image presented by opponents.

According to the report, Akena referred to documents and speeches from the 1970s and 1980s to argue that Obote opposed revenge, ethnic discrimination and political exclusion. His comments were framed as a response to remarks attributed to President Yoweri Museveni, though the article focuses mainly on Akena’s defence of the UPC founder and former head of state.

Akena said Uganda should not remain trapped in historical disputes when many children face immediate risks. Nile Post says he highlighted malnutrition, poverty, hunger, the rising cost of living and safety concerns, including recent school transport accidents involving learners. He said child safety should be treated as a priority, but also linked protection to wider development needs such as education, nutrition and competitiveness.

The remarks matter because they connect Uganda’s long-running debate over Obote’s contested legacy with present-day social policy concerns. Obote remains a divisive figure in Uganda’s political history, and the UPC continues to defend his role. Akena’s message, as reported, was that government and political actors should spend more energy on food security, social services and practical support for children than on partisan divisions over the past.