Opposition Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has yet again refrained from revealing as to whether its Party President James Akena intends to vie for Uganda’s Presidency in the 2021 General Elections.
Addressing the Press at Uganda House on Wednesday, Hajji Mahmoud Kazimbiraine the Party’s Electoral Commission Chief played a dodgeball saying it is the National Delegate’s Conference to decide.
“The National Delegates Conference will give us the final word. And that delegate’s conference is due to sit on August 1, or next Saturday. The Communication people will tell you where the delegate’s conference will be seating,” Kazimbiraine intimated.
Furthermore, Kazimbiraine stated that he is not Akena’s Spokesperson and as such can’t tell whether he will stand as Lira Municipality legislator or take a shot at the country’s presidency.
UPC Presidential elections
Apparently, Akena is in pole position to retain UPC leadership after an impressive run of results in the yet to be concluded race for the party’s top seat which began on June 29, 2020.
Among four candidates who were eyeing the job, it should be noted that only Akena sailed through after the others failed to meet the prerequisites within a period of four days starting on June 29, 2020.
Hitherto, his name was forwarded to the district conferences for nomination awaiting the approval of the National Delegates Conference.
This attracted the ire of Beatrice Amaro, Tom Omino, and Dennis Enap who complained of unfairly being ejected from the race.
Despite a few hiccups caused by the lockdown, Kazimbiraine says that Akena has already garnered more than the required one-third of the electoral districts which then takes him to the last stage.
“One-third of those districts must nominate you before you can be presented to the next level of our electoral process,” he explained.
“Hon. Jimmy Akena has had 84% nominating him meaning that he can now be taken to the next level of our electoral process which is the delegate’s conference,” Kazimbiraine added.
Provisional results indicate that the Lira Municipality Member of Parliament (MP) has so far been nominated by 109 electoral areas pending results from twelve other areas.
On the other hand, twenty one electoral areas which comprise of 20 districts and one city did not nominate him over unknown circumstances.
Even then, Kazimbiraine says all is not done as delegates shall have to assess Akena’s leadership credentials before he can take up the mantle.
