Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has dismissed claims that a Warrant of Arrest has been issued against party president, Jimmy Akena.
This follows a case of trespass at the Uganda House lodged in court against Akena and 14 others by the Milton Obote Foundation in September.
But addressing journalists at a press briefing early today, the UPC party spokesperson, Micheal Osinde Orach, said that top party officials, the litigants and the Buganda Road Magistrate Court presiding magistrate Mary Kisakye resolved that the warrant not be extracted.
According to Mr Osinde, it is the Resident State Attorney who is supposed to pray for issuance of an warrant of arrest which, he said, was not done in this case.
“The Resident State Attorney did not pray for a Warrant of Arrest, the applicant’s lawyer has not produced evidence to the Resident State Attorney,” Osinde noted.
He added: “The warrant will not be extracted because the prayers of the Counsel for the accuser were made in a watching brief. You cannot make prayers in that state.”
The matter was adjourned to December 7, but by press time there were contradicting media reports that the Buganda Road Court had issued a warrant of arrest against Akena, who is the son of UPC founding leader Dr Apollo Milton Obote and the Lira Municipality Member of Parliament.
Meanwhile, the UPC spokesperson has lashed at the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) for ‘the violence in the recently concluded NRM primaries’.
According to Osinde, the NRM should learn that ‘it is not good to have your opponent as an enemy’.
“We (UPC) encourage them to proceed and accept that competition is normal,” Osinde said and ‘advised’ the ruling party to steer away from violence.
“When you use violence, the innocent get hurt,” he said.
In other developments, the party Secretary General Edward Segganyi has called upon government to plan for the predicted El Nino season so as to mitigate risks.
Segganyi noted that it is the responsibility of government and its respective ministries to protect its citizens.
“UPC calls upon all sector ministries to come up with measures and also offer storage facilities to farmers,” he said.
He also advised MPs to thoroughly review the proposed amendments to Public Finance Management Bill before passing it.
“Uganda People’s Congress is very much concerned with this development and calls for a review of this proposed amendments,” he said.
Segganyi also congratulated Tanzania’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) for winning the just concluded elections, and also congratulated Zambia for attaining 51 years of independence.
“The history of Zambia dates back from the days of the Mulungushi Club that brought United Independent Party (UNIP), CCM and UPC in a greater solidarity and fraternal relationship,” he expressed.
