Uganda’s political theatre has never lacked spectacle, but the latest development edges close to constitutional chaos.
On September 27, 2025, during an appearance on The Big Talk with Canary Mugume, presidential candidate Mubarak Munyagwa publicly appealed to the Electoral Commission to “settle” with UPC party president Jimmy James Akena outside the courtroom.
“Fairness matters,” Munyagwa said in what he described as a “humble prayer.”
He argued that if the Commission had initially instructed Akena to prepare for nominations only to later disqualify him, the issue transcends Akena’s ambitions—it calls into question the credibility of Uganda’s electoral process.
He cautioned that if Akena took the fight to the Supreme Court, the Commission could face an injunction capable of derailing the 2026 presidential election.
“Government might end up losing dearly,” he said, in a tone more prophetic than warning.
For Akena, the past week has been political whiplash. In the studio with Munyagwa, he described the ordeal as “a very cruel week.”
His team had already prepared to collect the nomination certificate and submitted the names of 19 witnesses, including his mother. Yet a sudden letter arrived disqualifying him.
“All the ideas, all the hopes, all the dreams are going to be subject to the people of Uganda, and that is where we should all be allowed to present our cases. To cut it off the way it was cut off… I am determined to use every ability to make sure we are back on the ballot,” Akena said, determined but visibly aggrieved.
A Legal Tightrope
Led by UPC MP Jonathan Odur, Akena’s legal team is navigating a tight timeline set by the High Court:
Applicants file rejoinders and submissions by September 26.
Electoral Commission responds by September 29.
Any rejoinders by September 30.
Ruling delivered by email on October 1.
The outcome will decide whether Akena can return to the ballot or is permanently sidelined from the 2026 presidential race. A successful challenge would defy the EC and establish a legal precedent affecting Uganda’s electoral law for years.
UPC’s legacy adds weight to the stakes. Once the party of Milton Obote, it was reduced by factionalism and internal purges. Akena, Obote’s son, revived it, though critics accuse him of running it as a family fiefdom.
Munyagwa’s plea reflects the fragile state of Uganda’s electoral credibility. Sidelining a party president through bureaucratic maneuvering could undermine public trust in the democratic process.
Akena is attempting what may seem impossible: forcing his way onto the ballot after nominations have officially closed—a move that could reverberate through Uganda’s political and legal landscape.
By October 1, the nation will know whether Akena has a path back into the presidential race.