UPC Leader Akena Defies Court Ruling, Vows to Run for Presidency in 2026

Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) President Jimmy James Michael Akena has defiantly declared his intention to run for the presidency in the 2026 general elections, despite a recent High Court ruling that disqualified him from seeking the party’s leadership for a third term. The court’s decision, delivered on July 18, 2025, by Justice Bernard Namanya, deemed Akena’s nomination illegal, null, and void, citing a violation of the UPC Constitution.

The ruling was prompted by a legal challenge from UPC member Dennis Adim Enap, who argued that Akena had already served the maximum two five-year terms allowed under Article 14.1(3) of the party’s constitution. Akena was first elected in 2015, re-elected in 2020, and sought a third term, which the court firmly rejected. The judge issued an order of certiorari to nullify his nomination and an injunction to prevent the party from nominating him again.

Addressing the media at the UPC headquarters in Kampala on July 19, Akena acknowledged the court’s recognition of his current presidency but dismissed its implications for his future ambitions. “I am going ahead to contest for the presidency in 2026, and I want to make that perfectly clear,” he stated. Akena emphasized that he would not run for Parliament but would instead focus on the presidential race.

He also announced plans for a UPC Delegates’ Conference on July 26 in Kamudini, Oyam District, urging aggrieved party members to use the platform to resolve internal disputes. “If it means people are going to strip me of the UPC uniform, they will strip me, but they are not going to stop me from taking this message forward,” Akena asserted.

Akena accused his rivals within the party of using legal maneuvers to undermine his political trajectory. “These individuals know they cannot defeat me before the delegates, so they are resorting to technical and legal tactics,” he said. He stressed that the UPC is built on the voices of its people, not courtrooms, and called for unity ahead of the 2026 elections. “This party has a proud history and a powerful future. We must not allow internal sabotage and selfish ambition to destroy what we are building,” he warned.

Akena’s determination to run for the presidency despite the court’s ruling highlights the deepening divisions within the UPC and sets the stage for a contentious political battle in the lead-up to the 2026 elections.