Some political actors from the Lango have criticized Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) President Jimmy Akena, accusing him of misleading voters and promoting an illegal course of action following his exclusion from the 2026 presidential ballot.
Speaking at a joint press briefing in Lira, Joel Okao Tema of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Jimmy Awany, also known as Cing Malo, and Patrick Okwir Jaramogi described Akena’s public messaging as misleading, unlawful, and potentially harmful to Lango’s political interests.
Okao Tema said Akena’s focus on personal grievances risks distracting the region at a time when Uganda is debating political transition and national development.
He argued that Akena’s claim that he was unfairly blocked from contesting the presidency is unsupported by facts, insisting that the failure to meet nomination requirements rests squarely with the UPC leader.
Okao said some of the challenges facing Akena were internal to UPC, including structural weaknesses, academic qualification issues, and poor party organization.
He further questioned the value of asking voters to write Akena’s name on the ballot, noting that such votes would be invalid and would not affect the outcome of the election.
“Does that add any value to the voters? Does that stop whoever will have gotten more votes on the 15th of January from winning the elections?” he asked.
Jimmy Awany warned that Akena’s emotionally charged rhetoric risks poisoning the political environment in Lango and undermining the region’s future.
He accused Akena of pursuing a political agenda driven by ego rather than public interest, adding that Akena’s miscalculations have contributed to the growth of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the region over the past decade.
“If there is one political party that has grown organically in Lango in the last ten years, it is the NRM, and this has happened because of the political miscalculations of Hon. Akena,” Awany said.
Awany also claimed that Akena’s past cooperation with President Yoweri Museveni’s government was privately negotiated between Akena, his wife Betty Amongi, and a close relative, without consultation with UPC structures or Lango leaders.
Patrick Okwir Jaramogi condemned Akena’s call for supporters to write his name on the ballot, describing it as irresponsible and illegal under Uganda’s electoral laws, which render any ballot with unauthorized markings invalid.
Okwir accused Akena of attempting to politically isolate Lango at a critical moment. “We are one month away from an election that will determine where we want to be as a people. Why would Lango tell the country we are not going to be part of this nation for the next five years?” he asked.
He urged residents to reject what he termed a “cultic mentality” that equates Lango’s identity solely with UPC.
The leaders urged the people of Lango to participate fully in the elections and vote only for candidates whose names legally appear on the ballot.
They cited regional priorities—including the upgrading of Lira City, creation of new districts in Oyam and Lira, road construction, improved health facilities, and the establishment of a regional airport—as reasons for remaining engaged in national politics.
“This is not a Western democracy; the winner takes it all,” Okwir said. “If we boycott or cast invalid votes, we tell the country we do not want to be part of what happens next.”
Okwir added that, in his personal view, President Museveni is likely to win the upcoming election, but emphasized that voters should exercise independent judgment. Meanwhile, addressing the media at Uganda House in Kampala on Wednesday, Akena insisted that President Museveni was responsible for his disqualification and urged supporters not to reward the president.
“They have refused to put my picture, they refused to put me there; you write my name.” In early September, the Electoral Commission (EC) barred the UPC from presenting a candidate for nomination in the 2026 presidential elections, citing failure to meet nomination requirements.
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