MPs Akena, Lukyamuzi clash over opposition strategy

By David Lumu

MPs Jimmy Akena (UPC) and John Ken Lukyamuzi, the Conservative Party president have disagreed on what strategy the opposition should employ ahead of the 2016 general elections.

Lukyamuzi, the Lubaga South MP argues that the 2016 roadmap should focus on the electoral reforms, a campaign that opposition leaders are currently popularizing among Ugandans in their countryside tours, while Akena believes that the opposition must look at issues such as poverty, health, education and roads.

“From my political ideology, the key issues that we should be addressing are poverty, education and as parties we need to market our pans, for instance, what will we do to transform the health sector. How are we going to deal with the education system? In politics we need to be preparing the ground,” Akena said.

On his part, Lukyamuzi said that: “The electoral reform is a mater to stand with? Roads in the district. You cannot ignore electoral reforms when mapping out the 2016 opposition roadmap. There is a silent outcry that elections should be free and we want to ride on this?”

The two politicians were appearing on Vision Group’s Urban TV where they shared views on what strategy can be employed by opposition to deliver the 2016 vote.

Appearing on the same TV, DP president Norbert Mao said that some opposition politicians are not substantive, a trend that shifted the political contours and the public’s support away from the opposition.

Akena said that what the opposition needs to do is to draft a clear plan on how to deal with critical issues such as poverty rather than combing the country in search of electoral reforms as the main agenda.

“Within parties we need to deal with issues because UPC existed before the electoral commission and I am of the view that UPC has to continue to exist beyond the term of the electoral commission,” he said.