{UAH} UPC - Kayihura Accused of Backing Akena
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Uganda: UPC - Kayihura Accused of Backing Akena
The fight over Uganda People's Congress has sucked in police chief Kale Kayihura, who is now accused of siding with the Akena faction.
The accusation against Kayihura was made last Wednesday by lawyer Peter Walubiri, chairman of the Milton Obote Foundation (MOF), who was recently arrested by police.
In a letter to the attorney general, Walubiri claimed there was conspiracy between Akena and Kayihura to silence anyone opposed to the former's claim to the UPC party presidency.
Akena, a son to Uganda's founding president Milton Obote, is locked in a battle with Olara Otunnu for the party leadership. Walubiri backs the Otunnu faction. Last year, UPC president Olara Otunnu announced he was retiring but did not immediately organise elections to choose his successor. In June 2015 the High court ruled that
Otunnu should remain in office until the party elected a new leader. In June, a month before the official exercise organised by Otunnu's administration, Akena organised a delegates' conference that elected him party president. However, in December, the High court declared Akena's election a nullity and his leadership illegal. But Akena's faction has refused to vacate the party headquarters on Uganda house.
The Otunnu faction has since been trying to organise fresh elections to choose a new party leader, but has faced obstacles presented by the police-backed Akena group.
Walubiri's letter to the attorney general was titled: "Abuse of the legal process by government officials for political and personal gain". It was copied to the deputy attorney general, director of public prosecutions, president of Uganda Law Society, and the inspector general of police, among others.
HARMING AKENA
Walubiri says he and former Oyam South MP Ishaa Otto were arrested on May 6 at Uganda house, allegedly on Kayihura's orders. They were taken to the police's Special Investigations Unit at Kireka, where they were charged with "mobilizing people from all over Uganda to come to Kampala and harm Jimmy Akena".
The duo's misery started on May 6, 2016 when the UPC party cabinet called delegates for a national council meeting in Kampala.
"When the delegates assembled at the Emerald hotel, the venue of the meeting, their deliberations were interrupted by the police and the meeting ended," the letter says.
It adds that the organising committee then asked the delegates to go for a late breakfast at Eureka hotel in Ntinda after registering contacts for their transport refund; however police followed them and dispersed those assembled.
In a frantic bid to ensure that the delegates got their transport refund, Walubiri and Otto opted to go to the MOF offices at Uganda house. However, they were arrested at the entrance by police officers in riot gear.
"Efforts to be released on police bond that day and the following day (May 7 ) proved fruitless because every senior police officer contacted by our relatives, counsel and friends claimed that our arrest was ordered by IGP Kale Kayihura himself and that he would first meet us," Walubiri's letter says.
"Apparently, the IGP has taken a personal stand to assist Jimmy Akena not only to remain illegally in the UPC party offices but to continue to hold on as UPC party president."
Walubiri claims Akena is afraid that any National Council meeting or delegates conference will result into proper elections to expose his "illegitimate hold onto the party leadership".
Contacted for a comment on Saturday, Jimmy Akena declined to comment on the contents of the letter or his alleged connivance with the police boss.
"I cannot react to a letter I have not seen. Let me first see the letter, then I will be in position to comment," Akena said by telephone.
Police spokesman Fred Enanga also declined to comment, saying he was attending a state function at Kololo.
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