By Jazeerah Mirembe Ssenkabirwa
KAMPALA.The Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), the civic organisation chaired by Chief of Defence Forces and President Museveni ‘s Son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has officially endorsed Denis Adim Enap for the contested presidency of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC).
This endorsement adds a new twist to the party’s prolonged party leadership dispute.
The endorsement comes as the UPC remains divided by a long-running power struggle involving the incumbent party president, Jimmy Akena. The internal wrangles have sparked legal battles and competing claims over the party’s legitimate leadership.
PLU’s announcement was made during a Wednesday press briefing, where party officials publicly declared their support for Enap.
The development follows a series of court rulings and Electoral Commission decisions that questioned the legitimacy of Akena’s leadership, leading to him and other contenders being barred from contesting the 2026 presidential election under the UPC banner.
PLU’s backing of Enap is expected to intensify the contest for control UPC
UPC , one of Uganda’s oldest political parties is suffering from severe leadership divisions caused by a power struggle between longtime party president Jimmy Akena and rival factions. The prolonged dispute has led to multiple court challenges, contested delegates’ conferences, and the Electoral Commission barring the party from fielding a presidential candidate. Jimmy Akena (son of UPC founder Milton Obote) has served as the party’s president for over a decade. While he was affirmed by a National Council and an extraordinary delegates’ conference to extend his term, rival factions consistently challenge his legitimacy in court, claiming his actions violate the party constitution. Opposing members, including prominent figures like Joseph Pinytek Ochieno and Denis Adim Enap, have challenged Akena’s decisions in court.
The prolonged leadership war has taken a major toll on the UPC’s political future. Because of the ongoing constitutional violations and competing court orders, the Electoral Commission in January blocked the party from fielding an official presidential flag bearer in the 2026 elections. Both Akena and Enap, who had collected nomination papers, found themselves entangled in the Electoral Commission’s decision to pause the recognition of the party’s executive committee until internal sanity is restored.