By Jumah Kakomo
The opposition Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party President Jimmy James Micheal Akena has reechoed his intention to contest as a party president in the forthcoming general elections despite the high court ruling disqualifying him from the same.
The High Court in Kampala on July 18, 2025 declared the nomination of Hon. Jimmy James Michael Akena for a third term as president of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) Party illegal, null, and void, citing a violation of the party’s constitution.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Bernard Namanya, followed a legal challenge filed by UPC member Dennis Adim Enap, who argued that Akena had already served the constitutionally allowed two terms referring to Article 14.1(3) of the UPC Constitution which says a party president is limited to two five-year terms, unless they become President of Uganda during their second term—a condition Akena does not meet. Akena was first elected in 2015, served until 2020, and was re-elected for a second term from 2020 to 2025.
The court issued an order of certiorari quashing UPC’s decision to nominate Akena, and an injunction restraining the party from nominating him again for the same position. Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Kampala, on July 19, 2025, Jimmy James Michael Akena entertained the ruling which he says recognized him as the party president which for various sections of party members have failed to do for several years. However, he vowed to go ahead and contest in the 2026 general elections, not as a Member of Parliament, but rather as a presidential candidate.
Akena also announced plans to hold the party’s Delegates’ Conference on July 26th in Kamudini at Northern gateway hotel Oyam District, asking aggrieved party members to use it to resolve any sticking issues, according to Akena, if it means that people are going to strip him off the UPC uniform, they will strip him but they are not going to stop him from taking this message forward, he says he is going ahead to contest for presidency and he wants to make that perfectly clear.
“I think within UPC there are masquerades and I don’t think there is anyone who is as prepared as I am to run the race for presidency 2026 , the matters have been highlighted in the ruling and am not going to parliament but am going for the president of Uganda ,” Akena said.
He accused his rivals within the party of using the courts to block his political trajectory and influence in the party, rather than facing the will of the people through democratic processes. He said these individuals know they cannot defeat him before the delegates, so they are resorting to technical and legal tactics, but UPC is not built on courtrooms, it is built on the voices of our people. He called upon party members to remain united and focused ahead of the 2026 general elections, warning that internal divisions only serve to weaken the UPC’s ability to compete on the national stage.
“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 said.
