Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) Party President has said he is still the Party President and that those bent on fighting him are wasting time. Hon. Akena, who is also the member of Parliament for Lira City East, voiced the remarks while addressing Journalists at the UPC Headquarters, located at Uganda House in the heart of Kampala City on Monday.
“We are ready to fight for the existence of this young baby called UPC. They will fight me but UPC is here to stay”, he said amidst applause from the party staunch officials present at the press conference.
Mr. Akena’s remarks come amidst media reports that the Supreme Court, in its ruling of last Friday 13 October 2023, relieved him of his position as UPC President, an allegation he vehemently dismissed as fake news.
“Where in the Court ruling is it written that iam no longer UPC Party President?” he asked the Journalists present.
According to Akena, he is still the UPC party president until the time when the party will hold its next delegates conference in 2025.
He said the said case relates to a 2015 High Court Ruling which was filed by the late Joseph Bossa who was then the Vice President of UPC during the term of Olara Otunnu.
He said Mr. Bossa made an application contesting Akena’s 2015 election as Party President, requesting for a Judicial Review against the UPC and the UPC Electoral Commission.
Akena added that; the High Court Judge Yasin Nyanzi heard the matter and declared that his election violated the UPC Constitution and ordered for election in compliance with the UPC constitution.
“We were dissatisfied and appealed to the Court of Appeal vide Civil Appeal No. 20 of 2016. We then applied for a stay of execution of the orders of the High Court which was granted,” he explained.
Hon. Akena further said during the hearing on 29th July 2020, they prayed for three orders to be issued before the disposal of the main suit, which included that; Court of Appeal to vacate the stay of execution order of the High Court which was granted in his favour.
Secondly, Akena says they requested that the Court grants an interim order staying the Delegates Conference which he had convened for 1st August 2020. Thirdly; that the UPC accounts be blocked until the final determination of the Case.
“The Court of Appeal only granted the second and third. Meaning that I continued as the Party President,” he emphasized.
Hon. Akena said In respect to staying the Delegates Conference, two matters arose, namely; the Party was served with the Order after the Delegates Conference had sat and elected the Party President for the period 2020-2025 and that the Party being dissatisfied the interim orders appealed to the Supreme Court seeking orders to stay.
Mr. Akena says those fighting him have contributed nothing to UPC but are bent on trying to make the Party “disappear”. He said UPC members of the 11th Parliament and himself continue contributing from their salaries, on a monthly basis to ensure the existence of the Party.
“I am therefore calling on all UPC members to continue with the mobilization for the upcoming elections and to heighten our preparation and mobilization for the 2026 Elections. We will soon be calling on members of the National Council to prepare to deliberate and set into motion clear activities for the 2026 election,” he concluded.
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