By Spy Uganda
Kampala, Uganda – July 25, 2025 — In a dramatic twist that further complicates his embattled leadership, Jimmy Akena has suffered yet another major setback after the High Court in Kampala, alongside law enforcement, blocked a controversial delegates’ conference he had scheduled for July 26 at Koonakamdin.
The court, in a ruling delivered by Lady Justice Joyce Kavuma, issued an interim ex parte order restraining Akena and the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) from convening the extra-ordinary delegates’ conference—physically or virtually—until a pending court application is heard on July 29, 2025.
The conference was allegedly intended to bypass an earlier court ruling that challenged Akena’s legitimacy as UPC party president and barred him from contesting again. According to the court documents, Akena had informed the Uganda Electoral Commission of plans to hold the conference virtually despite a police advisory to reschedule it due to security limitations.
Joseph Pinytek Ochieno, a senior UPC figure, filed the urgent application through his lawyers, arguing that Akena’s move was an unlawful attempt to circumvent justice. His legal team contended that Akena is not the legitimate party president, having failed to participate in fresh elections ordered by the Court of Appeal in a separate case, in which Mr. Peter Walubiri was declared the rightful winner.
“The applicant has shown real and imminent danger,” Justice Kavuma ruled. “If the 2nd respondent [Akena] is allowed to proceed with the delegates’ conference, it might be too late to avert the consequences, especially given the dispute over his position as party president.”
The court emphasized the urgency, citing a credible threat that the conference would go ahead despite both legal and police warnings. Akena’s past defiance of court orders was also referenced in the ruling.
The decision marks another critical juncture in the UPC leadership saga and could signal the final unraveling of Akena’s contested presidency. The matter will return to court on July 29 for further deliberation.
