Otunnu faction says NRM is legitimising Akena's presidency

Infighting within the Uganda People's Congress (UPC) party is continuing to tear the party apart.

The faction backing Olara Otunnu has now accused the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government of legitimizing Jimmy Akena's leadership of the party.

The group led by former party vice president Joseph Bbosa claims that Jimmy Akena was never elected as the party president and is not the UPC party president.

In a public notice last week, Bbosa said that Akena has continuously defied court's ruling by acting as the party president while law enforcement bodies look on.

"With support from state, especially from some rouge elements within the Police and that of the Electoral Commission, James Michael Akena and his cronies continue to ignore and defy decisions of courts of law with complete impunity," Bbosa said.

In December last year Justice Yasin Nyanzi of the High Court civil division ruled that Akena was never elected UPC president.

The Akena faction however, said that the case in question was appealed before court.

UPC party spokesperson, Michael Osinde told New Vision in an interview that the party appealed against Justice Nyanzi's ruling insisting that Akena is still the party spokesperson.

Osinde also accused Bbosa of working with a 'clique' in the Milton Obote Foundation (MOF) of trying all ways to fail Akena in his duties as party president.

Both Otunnu and Akena factions have urged the Milton Obote Foundation (MOF) to respect court orders and only deal and cooperate with the legitimate leadership of the party, with each claiming they are the rightful leaders.

Akena however insisted he was the duly elected UPC president.

"Otunnu and Bbosa tried to undo the judicial process and also the will of the people of UPC but it is not possible," said Akena while addressing the press yesterday at the party headquarters. 

He accused Otunnu, Bbosa and a clique in MOF of secretly funding his opponents in order to fail the party during the recently concluded elections in the new districts of Omoro and Rubanda.