Akena decries missed nomination and condemns rising electoral violence

10 December 2025, 2:01 pm

By Ronald Ssemagonja

President General of the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC), Hon. Jimmy Akena, has once again expressed concern over how he missed being nominated to contest in the presidential race months ago. Akena made the remarks while addressing the party’s weekly press conference at the UPC headquarters in Kampala.

Akena reminded the public that during the Electoral Commission’s nomination exercise, many aspiring presidential candidates who picked nomination forms failed to meet all the required guidelines. He also strongly condemned the growing political violence in the country.

He criticized the treatment of National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Hon. Kyagulanyi Robert and his supporters, saying the incidents witnessed during their campaigns in Acholi, West Nile, Ankole, Kawempe and Nakawa were unacceptable. Akena pointed to the force used in Gulu, describing it as unnecessary. He questioned how authorities could restrict campaign time even when candidates were still engaging supporters. “How can you say that time expired? When you have a patient to work on, can you leave that patient because time is up? No! You have to first handle the patient. In this election we are going to see many invalid votes,” he said.

Akena further raised concern about the increasing presence and high-handedness of the Army and Police during the electoral season. He claimed that the involvement of the Internal Security Organization (ISO) in investigating individuals who provided signatures for presidential candidates was undemocratic and intimidating. He urged stakeholders to demand immediate investigations and hold those responsible accountable. He also suggested that compensation should be considered for those whose property was damaged during election-related incidents.

Meanwhile, Mukwaya George, an aspiring Local Council III councillor for Namungoona I and II, called on security officers to exercise professionalism while on duty. Speaking to reporters in Kampala, Mukwaya emphasized that peace must be prioritized as the country heads into elections. He appreciated security agencies for safeguarding the nation but urged police to act with restraint. “We are in an election period, meaning supporters are expected to express love for their candidates, so excessive force should not be the solution,” he said.