Is he a prisoner of conscience or hostage of factional politics?

On March 14, 2010 when Olara Otuunu was elected the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) president during the Delegates Conference at Namboole Stadium, one of the losing candidates Jimmy Akena conceded defeat and congratulated the victor. In his acceptance speech, Akena, the son of the late founding party president Milton Obote, said he was willing to work with Otunnu for the rejuvenation of the party. However, when Otunnu announced his new 42-member executive last week, Akena’s name was not on the list. So what happened in the previous two weeks that split Otunnu and Akena apart?

When asked why Akena was not on the party executive committee, Otunnu said he had approached Akena to work with him but he declined the offer. “Jimmy Akena is a very good friend and dear brother to me. We need him as a party and as party president I need him. I approached him twice to join my cabinet but he declined to accept my offer. I will find a way on how he will continue playing a major role for the party,” Otunnu said?

Akena has explained why he refused to serve on Otunnu’s executive. The reasons suggest of a leader who is held hostage by the whims and opinions of his supporters than a person guided by his own conscience.

Akena says he met Otunnu after the Delegates Conference and agreed to work together. This was premised on the condition that Akena would report directly to Otunnu, not to anyone else. Otunu offered Akena the position of national vice chairperson of the party. He asked Otunnu who the party’s national chairman would be and details about other members of the executive.

But Otunnu only told him that the chairman was from western Uganda but remained cagey on the rest of the cabinet. Akena left for Lira to meet some party members who were not happy with the election results. Although Akena had earlier accepted to be national vice chairman, when he met his supporters in Lango, they dissuaded him against the appointment and he succumbed.

“While in Lango, I had a meeting with various leaders and I informed them that I had met Dr Olara Otunnu and he had wanted me on the team. They resolved that I should at least be National Chairman,” Akena says. 

Upon his return, Akena told Otunnu that the position of his supporters was that he be appointed National Chairman. Otunnu told what was on offer was National Vice Chairperson position.

“Considering the resolution which was passed during the Delegates Conference which created six regional vice chairpersons, I felt that going in as national vice chairperson with an unknown chairman I would be someone suffocated,” Akena continues. “I informed Otunnu that under those circumstances I cannot join because I also have people on the other side who didn’t want me to take any part. So I am trying to balance between the two.”

Yona Kanyomozi, the third in the party presidential race, is no different from Akena. In spite of pledging to work with Otunnu, Kanyomozi last week posted the following message on the UPC website This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

“Dear members of UPC and friends, I have seen my name on the list. I am not a member of the new cabinet. The new president is fully aware of this. That is why he never announced my name at the press conference held on Wednesday, March 24. The inclusion of my name on the list is either a typing error or a misprint. Please be advised and take note of this.” On March 25, Kanyomozi also wrote to the UPC special presidential envoy Chris Opoka Okumu:  “Dear Opoka-Okumu Chris Esq. Brother, You were at the Press Conference Wednesday.  PP (party president) never mentioned my name for any position. How come you put me on the list? Please be advised that as of now, I have no position in the new arrangement, Party President is fully aware of this.”

Otunnu speaks out on Akena

“I explained to him that there was no way I, as party president from the north, would accept to have a general secretary or national chairman from the north. The party is for all Ugandans and I wanted a regional balance. As you can see the national chairman is from the West while the secretary general is from Buganda. However since Akena doesn’t want to work under any other person, we are working on finding a position for him within the party presidency,” Otunnu told The Independent.

For Kanyomozi, Otunnu says they had agreed to appoint him special presidential envoy. But on the day of announcing the executive, Kanyomozi called Otunnu and asked him not to read his name. “I don’t know why he did this but I will talk to him,” Otunnu says.

A senior party official, who declined to be named, told The Independent: “Akena has to know the party is not a Lango or family affair. Besides, if it was a Lango affair, why didn’t he get 100% votes from there? He got only 38 votes.  The party belongs to all Ugandans. In the first place if he was dissatisfied with the election outcome, why did he conceded defeat and promised to work with Otunnu?” 

Outgoing UPC secretary general Chris Opoka Okumu said: “Akena should understand that the point is the party’s future. Indira Gandhi’s son never held a party office but he mobilised for the party. It is about the party and not the office one holds. I was secretary general but now I am special presidential envoy, should I resign because it is a demotion? No. UPC needs everyone’s effort to rise again.”

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