UPC Regional Coordinator Quits Party over alleged Divisionism

By Naboth Isaac Niwagaba

apearlnews.com

The Uganda People’s Congress Vice Chairperson and Coordinator for Kigezi Sub-region Sam Tindimwebwa Kanyamukiza has resigned and quit the party citing frustration due to the divisions in the party and lack of ambition by the top leadership.

Kanyamukiza who unsuccesfully conteted as Kabale Municipality Mayor in the 2021 election announced his resignation in a letter dated 2nd August 2021, adressed to the UPC Party Presidetn Jimmy Akena.

While speaking to our reporter in an interview held at his residence in Rushaki ward, Southern Division Kabale Municipality, Tindimwebwa confirmed that he had quit the UPC . 
He said the party had been toirn into two, and the top leaders were only fighting one another instead of focussing on removing the ruling NRM from government.

Currently, UPC is made up of two parallel groups, one led by Party Founder’s son Jimmy Akena while others are allied to former secretary general Peter Walubiri.

In september 2020, the court of appeal declared that Jimmy Akena had been holding the presidency of the UPC illegally and ordered the party to organize elections to elect a legitmate leader.However, Akena and his group have since refused to vacate the office located on the 6th floor of the Uganda House in Kampala.

Walubiri was declared the new party leader on December 17 last year by the party’s electoral commission Chairperson, Hamza Sewakambo, against three others, having gannered 278 votes of the 593 delegates from 98 districts.

Akena’s faction led by the secretary General, Fred Ebil, called the exercise illegal noting that Walubiri’s election as a faction President were never cleared by any authority.

Mr. Kanyamukiza says it is because of such conflicts that he has struggled to make use of his office, adding that he was not receiving financial support from the party after the UPC accounts were frozen. 
He said, lack of financial support largely caused his loss in the last Mayoral elections for Kabale Municipality.

Sam Tindimwebwa

Tindimwebwa said he was going to look for another Political Party that is competitive enough , with an aim to take over government, unlike the UPC which even failed to field a presidential candidate in the last election.

However, the Kabale District UPC Chairperson Wilkens Arinaitwe said his office did not recognize Tindimwebwa as the Kigezi Region Vice Chairperson coordinator for the party. 
Wilkens who subscribes to the UPC group led by Peter Walubiri said all people appointed by Jimmy Akena were going to lose status because they were in office illegally.

He asked Mr. Tindimwebwa to buy the party card and join the UPC officially if he wanted to access any financial support in case he intended to stand again on any elective position representing the party.