The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has signalled it may not renew its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), citing what it describes as unfair treatment during the 2026 general election cycle.
UPC president Jimmy Akena said the future of the cooperation agreement will depend on the outcome of an internal party review into events surrounding the elections.
He maintains that the party was edged out of the presidential race under circumstances he attributes to the NRM’s “invisible hand.”
In the buildup to the 2026 elections, Akena had expressed interest in contesting for the presidency, banking on what he believed would be political goodwill under the cooperation agreement between UPC and NRM.
However, that ambition was halted during the nomination process.
The Electoral Commission declined to nominate Akena, citing internal leadership disputes within UPC.
Akena disputes that explanation, arguing instead that the ruling party interfered in ways that effectively locked UPC out of the presidential contest.
Reflecting on the aftermath, Akena said the party has since embarked on a period of internal reflection, questioning whether the relationship with NRM amounted to a genuine partnership.
“UPC needed to be on that presidential ballot. Not being there has consequences, and those consequences are still haunting the party up to now,” Akena said.
He further alleged that the NRM deployed heavily in UPC strongholds, particularly in the Lango sub-region, and claimed that some UPC leaders were placed under house arrest during the campaign period.
He also accused state officials, including Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), of undermining UPC’s mobilisation efforts.
“Our progress is a creature of what transpired. And if the NRM upholds the same evils, then we will have no option but to review the MoU,” Akena warned.
Despite the challenges, UPC secured several parliamentary seats in the 2026 elections. However, party leaders argue that their performance would have been significantly stronger had they fielded a presidential candidate and operated without what they describe as interference.
The party’s leadership says the findings of the ongoing internal review will determine whether UPC renews or terminates the cooperation agreement with NRM ahead of the next political term.
“Reviewing our MoU will help guide us on how to deal with similar circumstances that could prevail in the future,” Akena said.
UPC and NRM signed the cooperation agreement in 2016, marking a notable shift in Uganda’s political landscape given the parties’ historically adversarial relationship.
The arrangement has since shaped parliamentary alignments and cabinet appointments, but tensions have periodically surfaced.
As UPC deliberates its next move, the future of the NRM–UPC political alliance now hangs in the balance.