Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) president Jimmy Akena has accused President Yoweri Museveni of influencing his removal from the 2026 presidential candidates’ list, calling the process unfair and politically driven.
Speaking at the UPC headquarters in Kampala today, Akena said the electoral environment had become “compromised” and urged his supporters to manually write his name on the January 15 presidential ballot.
“They refused to put my picture — write my name. The invalid votes will show my strength,” Akena said.
He also claimed the court ruling that stripped him of UPC leadership was meant to frustrate his 2026 ambitions
However, the Electoral Commission has dismissed his appeal.
EC spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi warned that altering ballot papers will invalidate votes.
“That should be dismissed as fake news,” Mucunguzi said.
Akena’s directive has heightened tension with the EC ahead of the polls, which will feature only officially nominated candidates.
