KAMPALA, Uganda: In a dramatic and potentially historic turn of events, the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), the party once synonymous with Uganda’s post-independence governance, has been blocked from fielding a presidential candidate in the 2026 elections.
The Independent Electoral Commission (EC) dropped the political hammer citing a web of internal constitutional violations, court orders, and an unending leadership crisis that has fractured the once dominant party beyond recognition.
This automatically disqualifies both Jimmy Akena, the son of UPC founder and former President Milton Obote and his rival Denis Enap Adim, who had already picked nomination papers.
This follows a high-stakes showdown at EC headquarters the previous day, where top UPC figures including Akena, Adim, Joseph Ochieno, and Peter Walubiri were summoned to clarify who legally leads the divided party.
Instead, the meeting laid bare the full scale of UPC’s collapse.
“The Commission cannot legally recognize any candidate from UPC at this time,” EC Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama declared, citing binding rulings and flagrant violations of the party’s constitution, according to a source who attended the meeting.
At the center of the political implosion is High Court Misc. Cause No. 148 of 2025, which ruled that Akena had unlawfully extended his presidency beyond the constitutionally permitted two terms. The EC also slammed the party’s controversial virtual delegates’ conference, held in defiance of a court order,vas illegitimate and unconstitutional.
The EC ruling invalidated Akena’s nomination for the 2026–2030 term, branding it illegal and void.
Adim, who had attempted to step in as a rival candidate, also failed to meet key requirements under Article 13(5) of the UPC constitution.
While Peter Walubiri, a prominent figure in the party’s rival faction, was not considered at all, having failed to participate in the nomination process.
Byabakama emphasized that the UPC’s chaotic internal proceedings breached Section 10 of the Political Parties and Organisations Act, which governs party leadership transitions.
As 2026 looms, the question isn’t just whether UPC can survive, it’s whether it should. With its house in disarray and its legacy in tatters, the party that once charted Uganda’s future is now fighting for its very existence.
