UPC Caucus Defends Akena, Rejects PLU Bid to Oust Him

What the report says

Nile Post reports that the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) Parliamentary Caucus has rejected a reported effort by the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) to replace UPC president Jimmy Akena. The caucus, speaking at Parliament in Kampala on Monday, said the move was illegal, unconstitutional and an intrusion into the party’s internal leadership processes.

According to the report, the legislators argued that UPC leadership can only be decided by members of the party, not by an outside pressure group. They also questioned the identity and legitimacy of the person said to be proposed as Akena’s replacement, saying that as UPC representatives in Parliament they did not know the individual being fronted.

The briefing was led by UPC Parliamentary Caucus Whip Dr Eunice Otuko Apio and attended by several party MPs, including Kioga North MP Geoffrey Ocen, Kwania District Woman MP Kenny Auma, Maruzi County MP Peter Obong and Amolatar District Woman MP Janet Auma. The caucus reaffirmed its confidence in Akena, describing him as the legitimate incumbent party president and citing his role in supporting party structures and candidates during the last general elections.

Dr Apio also distanced the caucus from recent statements attributed to PLU officials about UPC’s leadership. The matter is significant because it touches on internal party authority, opposition politics and the limits of influence by external political groupings as Uganda’s parties position themselves for future electoral contests.