Akena pledges full backing for UPC candidates ahead of 2026 polls

__________________

Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) president Jimmy Akena has vowed to lead from the front in support of the party’s candidates for the 2026 general elections.

The declaration was made during a special UPC retreat on November 8, 2025, in Lira city, where candidates for parliamentary and local government positions gathered to prepare for the campaign season that began on November 10, 2025.

Party spokesperson Sharon Arach. (File)

Party spokesperson Sharon Arach later communicated Akena’s message to journalists at the UPC headquarters in Kampala on Wednesday, November 12.

Akena said the party had established a “campaign machine” ready to traverse the country under harmonised campaign programmes. He urged all party members to rally behind their candidates throughout the campaign period and on polling day.

He said “will be at the forefront for the campaigns of the candidates for the 2026 general elections”.

Akena encouraged candidates to maintain unity and determination. “We want to emphasise to our candidates that unity, focus of purpose and hard work with total sacrifice are critical at this material stage for our 2026 polls”.

He reaffirmed the UPC’s vision to rebuild the country and ensure that every Ugandan enjoys equal access to education, health, employment and housing opportunities.

“Let us have campaigns with a central message which anchors welfare and investing in people as the greatest asset of Uganda, reminding the candidates, entire membership and general public that the time has come for closing the chapter and opening the future,” he noted.

He added that Ugandans should focus on the welfare of future generations and plan for the country’s development.

He said the meaningful revival of the livestock and cattle economy can be a real game-changer, particularly in the subregions of Teso, Acholi, Lango, Karamoja and West Nile.

“Cattle used to be our bank of wealth with value that continues to appreciate, and that is why the party is leading this crusade of revival of the cattle economy, among other things, to ensure the government fulfils its commitment,” he attributed.

Recently, the deputy spokesperson for the Electoral Commission, Paul Bukenya, said 2,025 candidates were successfully nominated for 353 constituencies as directly elected Members of Parliament, and 640 are contesting for city and district chairperson positions in 146 districts.

Bukenya added that 521 candidates were successfully nominated to contest for 146 city or district chairperson seats.

The Electoral Commission blocked Akena’s nomination as UPC’s presidential flag-bearer for the 2026 General Election after the High Court in Kampala ruled that Akena’s nomination as UPC president for the 2025–2030 term was illegal, null, and void.

Akena is the son of Uganda’s two-time president, Milton Obote, who was ousted by Okello Lutwa in 1985.