Otunnu says rift with Museveni persists despite backing for UN top job

What the report says

Olara Otunnu, Uganda’s candidate for United Nations Secretary-General, said his political differences with President Yoweri Museveni remain unresolved even though Museveni’s government is now backing his bid. The comments were made at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, where Otunnu was presenting his campaign and manifesto, according to The Independent Uganda and URN.

Otunnu said he and Museveni have “areas of divergent views” and noted that the president has previously acknowledged blocking his earlier UN ambitions. He cast the current endorsement as a sign of national unity, saying Ugandans could support a common project without erasing their disagreements. Otunnu also met Museveni at State House Entebbe earlier in the week, where the president introduced him to ambassadors from UN Security Council member states and urged support for his candidacy.

The report said Otunnu is trying to recover from a weak showing in an initial straw poll, where he received two votes. He argued that the campaign began late compared with rivals who have been lobbying for much longer, and Uganda’s UN envoy Adonia Ayebare said the late start does not rule out a competitive run. Ayebare said travel clearance for the team to work in New York was expected soon.

The candidacy also comes against the backdrop of scrutiny of Uganda’s human rights record, an issue Otunnu addressed by highlighting his own long history of advocacy at the UN and elsewhere. He said he would continue to champion human rights if chosen for the top UN post.