Elections 2026: UPC's Akena hosts Kyagulanyi at Akokoro family home

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LIRA - National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu on Friday visited Akokoro, Apac District, the ancestral home of former President Dr Apollo Milton Obote, where he was hosted by his son Jimmy Akena, the president of the Uganda People's Congress (UPC).

“I was received by my brother Jimmy Akena in Akokoro, and I take that as a great honour,” Kyagulanyi said. “I also had the honour of visiting the resting place of the father of our nation, Dr Milton Obote, and saluted him. My visit symbolises brotherhood and national healing, said Kyagulanyi during a press conference he hosted at Pacific Grand Hotel in Lira City on Saturday.

He urged Ugandans to embrace reconciliation and unity, saying the current generation must heal wounds inherited from the past.

He said the visit reminded him of Uganda’s need for reunification and healing, adding that division had long been fuelled by lies and hate.

“We are the generation that inherited hate without knowing its source,” he said. “We have been taught to divide and hate each other. I believe God has sent us to heal those wounds.”

Kyagulanyi revealed that while in Lango, he would not seek Akena’s political endorsement because he respected UPC’s legacy.

“He’s the president of UPC, and I respect his party. We may belong to different parties, but we are brothers,” he said.

Kyagulanyi condemned the blocking of Akena’s presidential bid as unfair and undemocratic, urging voters in Lango to reject such discrimination through the ballot.

Kyagulanyi also noted that Obote’s marriage to a Muganda woman (Miria Kalule ) was proof that unity had always been part of Uganda’s history, only ignored for political gain.

In his meeting with Akena, he said it was a gesture of reconciliation.

“Jimmy and I go a long way. He was the first to listen to my song ‘Bad Man from Kamwokya’ before either of us joined politics,” he said. “Maybe God was preparing us for this. This visit is a symbol of unity and brotherhood.”

Kyagulanyi, who said Uganda's major problems were: poor roads, weak healthcare, unemployment, and poverty, added that unity was the only way to overcome them.

“Our problems affect us equally. We are more similar than different,” he said.

He also accused past regimes of manipulating history to divide Ugandans.

He urged Ugandans to seek truth and reconciliation, saying, “Our forefathers are gone; we are now the elders. We must decide whether our children inherit unity or hate.”

Smooth Campaign, Call for Discipline

Kyagulanyi, who said his campaign in Lango has been peaceful, commended his supporters for maintaining order and urged them to remain disciplined.

Kyagulanyi described his campaign so far as largely peaceful and orderly compared to past experiences. He said security agencies had shown restraint, with no incidents of tear gas or violence reported so far. “It has been way less violent and brutal,” he noted. Urging his followers to continue observing traffic rules, remain calm, and adding that peaceful engagement was the true path to national transformation.

Campaign promises:

Kyagulanyi pledged to address salary disparities among public servants, saying all professions deserved equal respect and timely pay.

He also promised to revive cooperatives to support farmers who struggle to profit from their produce.

Kyagulanyi concluded with a call for love, peace, and national healing.

“This is a generation to love, not hate—to correct wrongs, heal wounds, and fulfil the dreams of our forefathers,” he said. “A generation of unity, peace, and reconciliation. Let’s go!”

Commending the police for exercising professionalism and his supporters for maintaining discipline.