By John Stephen Katende  23^rd–29^th Aug 2010

UPC Party Logo

Is UPC, one of the oldest parties in Uganda, about to follow in DP’s footsteps and split into two rival factions?  Well, in truth, we can’t say for sure.  But it is also fair to say that UPC does not appear to be as united as it used to be in its glory days when its fiercely charismatic founder President Dr. Apollo Milton Obote [RIP] enjoyed near cult admiration across the party.

The irony of it all is that it is that same near cult admiration that Milton Obote enjoyed may explain UPC’s present challenges to remain as one united party.  For a very long time, Obote had a very firm moral and political grip on the party; much in the same way as Museveni does over his NRM today. The only difference is that Obote at least allowed UPC as an institution to grow and prosper; something that Museveni can never accept for his NRM because it would reduce his influence over it.

For example, when Obote advised UPC not to participate in any elections that would only give Museveni legitimacy, some UPC members [like Ben Wacha and Cecilia Ogwal] ignore his advice and ran for parliament; after all, the elections were held under the “individual merit” system of governance.  For that, they had to contend with an incessant flow of venom from Obote fanatics.  Obote’s great intellect, charisma, and oratory mastery ensured that as a party, UPC would always be defined in his image and by extension, associated with his family name.

And it is that close association with Obote’s family name that is now threatening UPC unity.  When Obote died in October 2005, his wife Miria Kalule Obote immediately took over the UPC presidency.  In the last election for the UPC presidency, Obote’s son Jimmy Akena ran against several other candidates; among them, the present UPC president Dr. Olara Otunnu.

While public sympathy in the aftermath of Obote’s death ensured that Miria Obote’s ascendency to the UPC presidency merely raised eyebrows, her son Jimmy Akena’s attempt to replace her mother caused a lot more discomfort within the party.  For the majority of UPC delegates at that election, enough was enough.  It was time to break free of the Obote family image.  As a result, they voted by a huge majority for Dr. Olara Otunnu.  Friction within the party was immediate.  Akena declined an offer from Otunnu to serve in the new UPC executive team.

Writing on an online blog on 21^st April 2010, veteran UPC ideologue Yoga Adhola said, “…the fact of the matter is UPC is split and no amount of trying to explain the split away in terms of Jimmy Akena misleading the people of Lango will help Otunnu.  In a large measure, it is the people leading Akena and not the other way round”.

To prove his point, Adhola talks about what happened just before Otunnu went to Lira.  He says Akena was told in no uncertain terms that he would open a major flood gate into NRM by merely standing near Otunnu. “That is the reason you never saw Akena besides Otunnu in Lira; much as Lira Municipality is Akena’s constituency.  Later when Otunnu met the elders in Lira, they told him they would not accept Akena to hold sinecure offices in Otunnu’s cabinet”; Adhola says.

And it seems Adhola is convinced that the damage to UPC unity is now irreparable.  In his view, “…it is simply resources that are holding us up from opening a rival office to that [of] Otunnu in Kampala.  And let me assure you, were such an office to be opened, you would see a flood of UPCs flocking to that office and not 6th floor Uganda House”; Mr. Adhola predicted.

Efforts by Uganda Correspondent to get a comment on the matter from UPC’s Communication Secretary before going to press were futile.  But to be fair to UPC, when it comes to the dominance of party leaders over their parties, the situation is not significantly different in most of the other opposition parties.

Dr. Kizza Besigye is a towering figure in FDC.  His intellect, courage in the face of a ferocious onslaught from Museveni’s regime, and the heavy personal sacrifices he has made to keep FDC afloat, have all earned him a very special place in the hearts and minds of most FDC supporters.  As for CP, its maverick President John Ken Lukyamuzi is quite simply CP itself.  In DP, Norbert Mao, the President General of one the factions, is at present the only person by which his DP faction is identified.

editor@ugandacorrespondent.com