20 defect from UPC to Movement
Jan 28, 2010
TWENTY members of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) have joined the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. Rufino Akena, a 68-year-old man, along with 20 others, crossed to the NRM on Tuesday during a meeting of NRM leaders in Lango sub-region.
By Barbara Among
TWENTY members of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) have joined the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.
Rufino Akena, a 68-year-old man, along with 20 others, crossed to the NRM on Tuesday during a meeting of NRM leaders in Lango sub-region.
The meeting was chaired by the Vice-President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, at Lira Hotel.
Bukenya called for respect, openness and discipline among the leaders, saying the sub-region may have unique problems but the whole country faces problems.
The Vice-President expressed optimism about NRM victory in the sub-region in the 2011 general elections.
Tony Ebong, one of the defectors, said UPC was thriving on peddling falsehoods and distorting information about government programmes to undermine the NRM.
Akena, who claims to be former President Apollo Milton Obote’s brother, said the common view in Lango is that the region is being victimised and discriminated against by the ruling party because of the past two UPC regimes.
However, members of Obote’s family denied being related to Rufino Akena.
Jimmy Akena, a son to the former President, said: “No, he is not my uncle.â€
He added that Rufino could be a member of the clan but not his father’s brother.
Akena is a common name in the Oyima clan, to which the late President belonged. Henry Opioto, the leader of Obote’s clan, also denounced Rufino’s claim.
“I don’t know any young brother of Obote by that name. The only young brother Obote had was Edward Oboko and he is dead. He died in Zambia,†Opioto explained.
TWENTY members of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) have joined the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.
Rufino Akena, a 68-year-old man, along with 20 others, crossed to the NRM on Tuesday during a meeting of NRM leaders in Lango sub-region.
The meeting was chaired by the Vice-President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, at Lira Hotel.
Bukenya called for respect, openness and discipline among the leaders, saying the sub-region may have unique problems but the whole country faces problems.
The Vice-President expressed optimism about NRM victory in the sub-region in the 2011 general elections.
Tony Ebong, one of the defectors, said UPC was thriving on peddling falsehoods and distorting information about government programmes to undermine the NRM.
Akena, who claims to be former President Apollo Milton Obote’s brother, said the common view in Lango is that the region is being victimised and discriminated against by the ruling party because of the past two UPC regimes.
However, members of Obote’s family denied being related to Rufino Akena.
Jimmy Akena, a son to the former President, said: “No, he is not my uncle.â€
He added that Rufino could be a member of the clan but not his father’s brother.
Akena is a common name in the Oyima clan, to which the late President belonged. Henry Opioto, the leader of Obote’s clan, also denounced Rufino’s claim.
“I don’t know any young brother of Obote by that name. The only young brother Obote had was Edward Oboko and he is dead. He died in Zambia,†Opioto explained.