Lango UPC Leaders Turn to Museveni as Party Struggles With Leadership Crisis

What the report says

A dispute has deepened inside the Uganda People’s Congress in Lango after senior members came under disciplinary action for backing President Yoweri Museveni in the 2026 General Election. According to Dokolo Post, former UPC Lango regional vice chairperson Chris Ongom and other local leaders say their support for Museveni was meant to help draw government attention and development to the region, which they say has spent years outside the center of power.

The article says the contested members argue that UPC lacked a valid presidential candidate because of a court case and internal leadership gaps. They also say the party’s previous leadership mandate expired in August 2025 and that district and delegates’ conferences had not been completed to install a new leadership. Former Kwania District LCV chairperson Alex Ogwal Adyebo and other supporters of the move say their decision followed a resolution by party elders and was consistent with members’ rights to choose candidates.

The UPC National Disciplinary Committee, chaired by Peter Paul Okello, has summoned several senior figures, including Adyebo, Ongom, Denis Adim Enap and others, over allegations such as misuse of party symbols, falsely claiming the UPC presidency, and working with outside political actors. Hearings began in Lira City on September 1 and later moved to UPC headquarters in Kampala. The committee has said it may impose sanctions, including dismissal, if members are found guilty.

At a press briefing in Lira on September 3, the group thanked Museveni for some development commitments in Lango while also pressing for outstanding projects. More broadly, the row highlights continuing tension over UPC’s internal leadership, party discipline and its role in regional politics ahead of the next election cycle.