President Yoweri Museveni has dismissed claims that he influenced the disqualification of Jimmy Akena from contesting in the 2026 presidential elections, saying the matter was entirely legal and had nothing to do with politics.
“Not at all. I did not even know that Akena Jimmy wanted to stand (for president). I just saw it in the papers. I did not know. Then, I got some information. I tried to check, and I found that it was mainly a legal problem on their side. So, it was legal. It was not political. I do not remember the details. They were supposed to do this and that. But it was legal. It had nothing to do with politics,” said Museveni.
Akena’s Disqualification Explained
The Electoral Commission (EC) disqualified Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) leader Jimmy Akena from the 2026 presidential race after determining that he was not eligible to stand as a candidate.
The EC’s decision followed a High Court ruling that found Akena had served beyond the two-term limit allowed by the UPC constitution. The court ruled that his attempt to extend his leadership through a virtual delegates’ conference was illegal because it violated both the party constitution and an existing court injunction that had barred such a meeting.
The EC later cited this court decision to reject Akena’s nomination, saying it could not clear him to contest under a leadership that was already declared invalid.
Court Upholds EC Decision
Akena went to court to challenge the Electoral Commission’s move, but the High Court, presided over by Justice Bernard Namanya, upheld the EC’s decision.
The court ruled that Akena’s petition had been filed after the nomination deadline, making it impossible to reverse the process. The judge also agreed with the EC that Akena’s leadership was no longer legally recognized, and therefore he could not act as the party’s presidential flag bearer.
However, the same ruling allowed the UPC party to continue fielding candidates for parliamentary and local government positions, preventing the EC from declaring the entire party structure expired.
Akena’s Reaction
Following the court’s decision, Akena accused the Electoral Commission of bias and poor handling of the nomination process. He claimed the decision was premeditated and that his documents had been intentionally delayed and mishandled.
Despite the setback, Akena vowed to remain politically active, saying he would not retreat or go into exile, and that he would continue working with his supporters to strengthen the UPC
Political Context
Jimmy Akena, son of former Ugandan President Dr. Apollo Milton Obote, has led the Uganda People’s Congress since 2015 and served as Member of Parliament for Lira City East. His leadership has been marked by internal party divisions and legal battles over his legitimacy as party president.
His disqualification effectively meant that UPC did not field a presidential candidate in the 2026 elections.
