The political future of Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) president Jimmy Akena faces uncertainty as a legal challenge seeks to disqualify his candidacy for the 2026 presidential elections.
On July 28, J. Byamukama & Company Advocates filed a formal petition with the Electoral Commission on behalf of Joseph Pinytek Ochieno, a UPC party member and long-time critic of Akena’s leadership.
The petition asks the Commission to enforce a court order that effectively bars Akena from standing as the UPC flag bearer in the forthcoming presidential elections.
The legal team argues that a High Court order issued by Justice Joyce Kavuma temporarily blocked the UPC and Akena from holding an extraordinary delegates’ conference scheduled for July 26, 2025.
Despite this order, the conference reportedly went ahead both physically and virtually at a venue in Naalya-Kira, Wakiso District, where Akena’s term as party president was controversially extended by 12 months.
Lead counsel Jude Byamukama said that Akena had been duly served with the court order via WhatsApp at 4:17pm and again at 9:36pm on the same day, in line with the Judicature (Electronic Filing, Service, and Virtual Proceedings) Rules, 2025.
He added that during the virtual session, participants were even informed of the court’s directive through the conference chat section, yet the proceedings were not halted.
“The extraordinary delegates’ conference was convened in direct defiance of a valid court order,” Byamukama asserted. “Any resolutions or outcomes from that meeting, including the extension of Akena’s leadership, should be deemed illegal.”
The lawyers now want the Electoral Commission to nullify the outcomes of the July 26 meeting and formally block Akena’s nomination, citing violation of the rule of law and contempt of court.
Justice Kavuma’s interim ex parte order is currently in effect for three days, pending a hearing on the main application, which will determine the legality of Akena’s continued leadership and his eligibility to contest in 2026.
The Electoral Commission is yet to respond publicly to the petition.
