Otunnu, UPC MPs’ Feud Deepens

A secret dossier by opposition party-UPC regarding its internal affairs has warned that greed among its top brass is heavily sending this party to grave.

The dossier is addressed to embattled UPC parliamentary group chairperson Maxwell Akora.

The dossier demonizes almost UPC legislators accusing them of allegedly working with the state to exterminate the ‘fading’ party.

The dossier claims that UPC MPs are allegedly serving double interests and are receiving bribes, gifts and other freebies from the ruling party-NRM.

The dossier gives an insight into the goings on in this party which ruled but lost power twice under Milton Obote.

“UPC is in a grave internal crisis influenced by external opponents. UPC is divided and polarized because of greed and selfishness propagated by opportunists. There are double standards of receiving bribes, gifts and political favors,” the dossier states.

The dossier authored by Olara Otunnu’s faction and signed off by Otunnu’s briefcase career Ishaa Oto Amiza castigates the faction led by Lira municipality MP Jimmy Akena and Obote family as a whole.

In this Akena faction, includes all UPC MP except Jancinto Ogwal.

We understood that Ogwal Jacinto is currently at war with Oyam south MP and wife to Akena; Betty Amongi.

Amongi and Ogwal have been on a real war over the leadership of UPC caucus in parliament because sometime back, Otunnu allegedly fired her and appointed Ogwal but the lady stuck to her guns and didn’t surrender.

The dossier states that UPC is dying at a terrible speed because of the controversies surrounding its leadership at national level.

Whereas the Akena faction says Olara Otunnu’s cabinet expired in March this year, his followers claim that the party’s constitution still keeps him in office and all office bearers until new leaders come in.

“There is no leadership vaccum in UPC. Article 26 and 2 of the UPC constitution should have addressed your [Akena UPC MPs] wild thinking and ill motives. It states that all persons holding offices under the previous constitution continue to hold office until new elections are held. You don’t seem to be aware or deliberately chose to confuse the people,” the dossier adds.

The dossier goes on; “therefore, the current president Otunnu and his cabinet continue to hold office until the next ADC is held. To allege that there is a leadership vacuum at your level [as MPs], is ignorance, selfish and deliberately meant to kill the party in the interest of your godfather”

The dossier indicates that the party is actually not only in tatters at national level but also even on its leadership in parliament. It shows that Otunnu is helpless in regarding to governing UPC MPs to the extent that the members refused to pay their monthly fees worth shs300000 each to the UPC coffers.

The dossier stings Betty Amongi who allegedly keeps parading herself as the UPC whip and Akora Maxwell who allegedly parades himself as UPC group chairperson on the account that the duo were elected and yet the Otunnu faction claims caucus leadership is appointive not elective.

It claims that MP Jacinto Ogwal who is a member of UPC cabinet was appointed by Otunnu as the caucus chairperson and whip.

The dossier also goes into the administration of UPC and Milton Obote Foundation [MOF]. Here, Otunnu is accused by UPC members of allegedly trying to mortgage this MOF.

“You are claiming that Olara Otunnu is conniving with board members of MOF to mortgage the assets of MOF. You also claim that MOF has been giving UPC shs25m per quarter; a position which demonstrates total ignorance on the legal status of MOF. You owe UPC party subscription of shs300000 each for the last 50 months,” the dossier states.

It goes on; “you must pay this money before any attempt for you to seek reelection on UPC ticket”

The same dossier also digs into Otunnu’s arch rival Akena’s academic qualification. It claims that he is in parliament because of president Museveni. The dossier accuses Akena of decompaigning UPC members during parliamentary elections.

“Whereas Akena has a right to vie for UPC presidency, he must qualify as a genuine member by ideology and provide the necessary requirements but not for being Obote’s son. Obote was a son of a peasant whose charisma and association with people earned him leadership not through imposed inheritance,” it states.

The Otunnu camp dossier also goes ahead to question Obote’s role in founding UPC.

It states that whereas the Akena camp claims he started the party single handedly, this is purely false and shallow.

The dossier suggests that UPC was formed out of a merger between UPU led by Ignatius K Musaazi, Abu Mayanja and others from Buganda; together with other leaders from west Nile while Obote joined as a member of Uganda National Congress.

“Obote was mobilized from Kenya with the help of Lango leaders and distinguished himself as a leader and was elected first president of the newly found UPC. It was not because he was a son of a president or chief. In any case, you don’t need to be a son of the president to be a president of UPC. This party is not a family party,” it states.

The dossier warns the party on what it calls conspiracy to personalize and kick out some members of UPC. The dossier refers to this as myopic and selfish move which shall be resisted at all costs.